Page:History of the Anti corn law league - Volume 2.pdf/42

 "I cannot join the sanguine expectations of the Leaguers, that Sir Robert Peel will be the last English minister who will venture to uphold monopoly. It is well known how long such struggles generally last, and how very frequently, when the longed-for prize appears on the point of being attained, it is suddenly snatched away from that oft deluded Tantalus—the people. The immediate aim of the Leaguers is the abolition of the Corn Laws, but they do not propose to stop at the attainment of this object. They will then turn the same weapons which brought down the Corn Laws, against all other trade monopolies and custom-house regulations, first in England and then in other countries, until at length all commercial restrictions between different nations, shall be totally done away with, and trade rejoice in the golden sunshine of freedom all over the world. A tempting object, but alas! a long and doubtful road."

M. Kohl is more liberal to the lecturers than the League There was none of their number with a salary at all approaching £600 a year. The most efficient of the remunerated assistants laboured for less pay than they might have had in other avocations, and so far might be considered as contributors towards the funds of the League. It may easily be conceived, that arrangements for so many meetings, at so many places, the great amount of correspondence, the superintendence of so large an amount of subscriptions, the distribution of so many tracts, involved great labour, and a great division and sub-division of labour. The executive committee met daily, and often twice a day. The rooms were occupied from early in the morning until late at night, by various other committees, each in its own department of business. These committees had their subcommittees, all labouring is earnestly and as continuously as if ample fortune and world-wide fame would be their reward; all working gratuitously, and without the consciousness of their names ever being mentioned out of the was.