The London Welshman

Welsh Reforms. BY PHILIP THOMAS. PART II. Chapels as Homes. Connected with improved housing, is the question of making better provision for the social entertainment of the working-class. The social plea is the sole justification of the public- house. It is, unhappily, the poor man's club and, alas, too frequently the poor woman's parlour. There should be public provision for people meeting their friends in social pleasure apart from the deleterious influences of intoxi- cating drink. This should be a function of every local authority, and would prove the best way of fighting the drink demon. A similar reform, much on my heart to mention, is a better provision of this character for the Sabbath evenings. One feels here to be treading on delicate ground, and I can only hope to give no offence and cause no pain. But in Welsh towns, just as in London itself, I find the streets thronged after church and chapel time on Sundays with young people of both sexes indulging-as one overhears — in vile language, and evidently commencing a life of moral degradation. I would venture to ask religious people whether they do all that they can for the pro- tection of those young people from lives of shame. There are the churches and chapels- commodious buildings, warmed in winter and many of them with splendid organs—-lying at those same hours on Sunday evenings dark and useless, while sin is being sown unchecked. It has always seemed to me a cruel pity that the churches and chapels are not open after Divine service for the service of man. Cannot those young people be tempted from the perils of the streets within the sanctuary of sacred walls to listen to elevating music and hear good and friendly words ? Some of the young people who came first for recreation would no doubt be found afterwards at the religious services, and so enter upon lives of a higher plane, instead of falling into habits of vice, destructive to them body and soul. This is a matter which oppresses one sometimes beyond endurance; and I throw it out as a suggestion of wholesome Welsh reform, which I hope will be considered in a broad spirit of human brotherhood, and with a due sense of responsibility towards those whose mental and moral culture does not permit them to think and act for themselves. National Anniversaries. There are a number of other Welsh reforms that will occur to my readers, but it is not practicable to deal with all. One interesting subject I want to mention, because I conceive it to have an important bearing on the develop- ment of a nation. That is the keeping of national anniversaries. I do not think we are mindful enough about Welsh anniversaries, and such events have an important effect upon a nation's character. The branches cannot do without the roots and a nation's life must always be rooted in its past, though it must live and act in its own present. John Penry. Wales has many a saint and hero whose com- memoration would be an inspiration but I fear we do not celebrate their anniversaries in a way to fire the young with their example. Sunday, the 28th May last, was the anniversary of the martyrdom of John Penry. In how many chapels was the event noticed, and made the basis of an appeal for high endeavour? Penry was a man deserving of all honour from the Welsh nation. He laboured, fought and died to bring truth and justice to his people. He saw them steeped in ignorance, vice and super- stition, the victims of a slothful and corrupt clergy-from the curate, who lodged in the ale- house, up to the bishop who held sixteen livings in his own hand, while the parishes went with out pastoral care. Against these iniquities Penry toiled and struggled to the death. He set himself against principalities and powers to achieve his patriotic purpose; and he was among the first to call in the aid of the Press to enlighten and stimulate public opinion, and by those means to further reform. He knew that death await ed him on his path of duty, but he could not let his beloved nation perish unbefriended. My own dear land of Wales," was the phrase ever on his lips. At last, in his early manhood, with all the love and hope of life at 38 years, John Penry surrendered his life, as a martyr-dying to make the voice of the Welsh people heard in the English Court, claiming to be delivered from the bondage of ignorance and superstition. In Penry we have a life as noble and devoted -a patriotism as pure and resolute-as any that ever adorned the annals of a country, and that character belongs to Wales. Let us not forget such anniversaries as the 28th May. Young men make a note of it, and dedicate yourselves afresh each year as the date comes round to the disinterested and determined service of your country. Think of the lines of Robin Ddu Eryri:— Ha, Gymru dy dlysau y'nt dra gogoneddus, Pob ogof o'th eiddo sy ddengar ac erch Serch feini crogedig uwch ben sy fawreddus, Addurnant dy goron, gorlyncant fy serch Prid orllwyn a chromlech sydd urdd i'th lech- weddau, Maen chwyf dy Dderwyddon a adgan dy fraint; Hidl ddagrau tosturi a seliant y beddau Lle huna dy ddewrion, lie gorphwys dy saint Classic Carmarthen. On a recent occasion I was speaking in Carmarthenshire—the classic county, as it may be called, of Wales. Scarcely any portion of it is not hallowed by the noble services of some of our forerunners. Do you remember them; do you refresh yourselves for your tasks by thinking of them ? See what Carmarthenshire has done in litera- ture-in three successive generations producing on one spot such men as Vicar Prichard, Rees Prytherch, and Williams Pantycelyn. But do you keep or even know the anniver- saries of these men ? Do you remember Stephen Hughes; his labours and sufferings, his knowledge and zeal, and all that he did for Carmarthenshire and Wales ? He was buried at Swansea; and so far as I know, no monument marks his grave to this day. It is true that the causes he established com- memorate him. On the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren, the builder of St. Paul's Cathedral, the inscription runs in Latin, If you want to see his monu- ment, look around you That is true of Stephen Hughes; but ought there not to be a monument of such a Welsh worthy, with an inscription that would rouse others to follow his example ? This keeping of anniversaries is worth doing, because it makes a nation conscious of its past; of the men of high service, who have gone before; and it tends to unify and advance the whole people. Only one other reform must I mention. I have kept it to the last because it needs so much courage to propound. One feels like Daniel entering the lion's den; but like him one must rely for deliverance on purity of intention. I am venturing to lay the hand of reform on the ark of the covenant. I want, in short, to touch upon the National Eisteddfod. It is not meant as a sacreligious act; and I am not speaking ironically, nor feigning a respect that I do not feel, when I say, it ought to be approached with all diffidence. PART III. The National Eisteddfod. A time-honoured national institution, like the Eisteddfod, and one so peculiar and congenial to the Welsh race, demands and deserves careful and respectful treatment. I am with Machreth when he sings of the Celt I'w reddf, harddaf yw urddau-awen fyw, 0, mae'n falch o'i chlysau Ac hawlia'i nwyf i'w glanhau, Fedydd yr Eisteddfodau. Rho'i i'r gerdd yr oriau'i gyd,—dyna'i goll, Dyna ei gamp hefyd Ei warth yw ei nerth o hyd, Ac o'i fai y ca fywyd. I spoke of it, too, in the presence of pillars of the Eisteddfod-stones of the Gorsedd. There was Watcyn Wyn, the sweet singer of modern Carmarthen, who has added a fresh name to the immortal scroll of Welsh bards — a veteran whom we rejoice to have still among us-a patriot who has served his country well, both in literature and in learning. Gwili, also, was there. I expect much from the zeal of Gwili and his youth, his almost perpetual youth. Though he has already done excellent work, the merit of which has been crowned with national appreciation, I decline to accept his past work as more than a foretaste of what he will give us in the maturity of his powers, if he trusts his own genius, and does not allow himself to be bent down to Eisteddfodau subjects. But to take up the task of criticising the National Eisteddfod, I must confess that personally I find it unendurably dull and dreary. To begin with, there is the huge structure, turned into a hall for the occasion, where speakers vainly endeavour to make them- selves heard to more than a quarter of the audience-scattered as it is over the whole building, with large tracts of empty space between the differently-priced seats. At Llan elly it was pitiful to see Sir John Williams trying to make himself heard, and lamentably failing beyond the front rows, although he has a good clear voice. The first reform is that Eisteddfod speeches shall be delivered when they can be heard by the entire audience. Then there is the monotonous repetition of numberless competitions, repeating the same musical performance or song, one after the other. I would suggest that the judging should be done privately, and that the prize winners should give the concerts, instead of visiting professionals as at present. Adjudications. Worse than these things is the reading of the literary adjudications, the poor adjudicator droning out his criticisms, inaudible to everybody, except perhaps the chairman on the platform, and dealing not with persons whom the audi- ence could identify-when they might take a proper or malignant pleasure in the adjudications -but with feigned names which rob the praises and sarcasms of all interest. Would it not be more useful and enjoyable if, instead of the adjudicator reading his award, the poet or some good elocutionist on his behalf read the prize poem ? Then the audience would receive some pleasure and intellectual profit; while under the present system probably not one in a hundred of those who see the poet chaired or crowned eyer at any time reads a line of the work which has won him the distinction. They go away from the Eisteddfod as unenlightened as they came. Happily, there is a growing tendency to have the prize poems put on sale at the same Eisteddfod; and this practice ought to be encouraged.. Prize Poems. There is, however, a more serious reform to suggest. Instead of giving the prizes for the best poems on subjects prescribed by the Eisteddfod Committee, I suggest that the prizes should be given to the best poems pu lished in the previous year. This would enab e poets to write according to their inspiration in subjects of their own choice. A poem that is only written because the subject has been set for an Eisteddfod prize is not likely to possess any real vitality, or any permanent value.