Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History

Book

Open Original Text

aid the poor labourer,' and Mr Ball ... said they did 'not want any
political opinions which might prevent subscriptions to the movement.'"
Archbishop Manning withdrew from the meeting as soon as the wicked
Atheist came forward. I am in no position to say whether in this case
_post hoc_ meant _propter hoc_, though certainly in some quarters,[174]
at least, the Archbishop's sudden disappearance was attributed to Mr
Bradlaugh's appearance. Mr Samuel Morley asked Mr Bradlaugh not to
move the addendum; my father, however, persisted. Mr Morley then asked
him, "as a favour to himself, as it was then 10.32, not to speak in
support." To this Mr Bradlaugh consented, while maintaining his right
to speak, and merely moved that the following words be added to the
resolution: "And there can be no permanent improvement in the condition
of the agricultural labourer until such vital change shall be effected
in the land laws now in force in this country as shall break down the
land monopolies at present existing, and restore to the people their
rightful part in the land." Had he been allowed to speak, he would
have instanced as necessary "measures" abolition of primogeniture;
easy land transfer; a graduated land tax, and compulsory cultivation
of uncultivated lands capable of cultivation. This last reform he
put elsewhere in the following words:--"Power to deprive holders of
cultivable lands of their property, on proof of non-cultivation, at a
compensation not exceeding seven years' purchase, calculated on the
average nett rental of the preceding seven years. Such lands to be
taken by the State, and let in small holdings to actual cultivators,
on terms of tenancy, proportioned to the improvement made in value;
that is, the greater the improvement, the longer the tenancy. Lands
appropriated to deer forests and game preserves to be treated as
non-cultivated."

[Footnote 174: See _Weekly Register_ (Catholic) for Dec. 14, and
_Liverpool Daily Post_ for Dec. 13.]

Although Mr Bradlaugh's addendum was moved and seconded amidst the
greatest confusion, and little as his intervention was approved of by
the promoters of the meeting, four-fifths at least of those assembled
voted in its favour.[175]

[Footnote 175: Commenting on this emendation, one provincial
journal--the _Liverpool Daily Post_--remarked with more than usual
outspokenness: "Thanks to Mr Carlyle, it has long been acknowledged
that revolutions cannot be made with rose water; and Archbishop
Manning and other amiable ecclesiastical philanthropists will have
to learn that revolutions cannot be made with holy water either. In
this world it is necessary to do good, even if the devil bids you;
and if Mr Bradlaugh can get the ear and the vote of a vast meeting by
turning half-measures into whole ones, his alliance will have to be
accepted, and perhaps his advice may have to be followed." But the day
for that was not yet come, and few saw the inevitable so clearly as
Mr Bradlaugh. The _Times_ very fairly admitted that on a division his
supporters formed the majority of the gathering, but a very garbled
account of the proceedings appeared in many journals, one paper even
going to the length of saying that Mr Bradlaugh was "ejected" from the
meeting, and another seriously admonishing him that his reception at
Exeter Hall ought to show him that the bulk of the working classes had
no confidence in him.]

 * * * * *

But if my father felt wounded by the way in which he was regarded, and
his help was rejected by the conveners and speakers of this Exeter
Hall meeting, he had his compensation in the following July, when he
was invited, for the first time, to attend the Annual Demonstration of
the Northumberland miners. He had always felt especial sympathy for
the workers in the northern coal mines, and never forgot that one of
the earliest and one of the kindest greetings he ever received in the
provinces was from a coal-hewer at Bebside. At this demonstration he
met Alexander Macdonald, whom he then regarded as one of the strongest
men he had yet come in contact with, connected with any working men's
organization in Great Britain. "To give," he said, "a faint notion of
Mr Macdonald's power, it is enough to point out that he speaks with
the authority of Miners' Organizations representing more than 200,000
men, and has brain enough and will enough to use this vast power
unflinchingly." Mr Thomas Burt, then Secretary to the Northumberland
Miners' Association, and "proposed" miners' candidate for Morpeth, Mr
Wm. Crawford from Durham, and Mr Joseph Cowen, as well as my father's
old antagonist in debate, Dr J. H. Rutherford, all attended to address
the great gathering, which assembled on the moor; and although this was
the tenth of these annual gatherings, it was the first at which any
political resolutions had been proposed.

In the following year, when the Northumberland Collieries balloted for
the speakers for their picnic, my father and Mr Burt came out side by
side at the head of the poll. The date fixed was the fifteenth of June,
and on that afternoon at least 20,000 miners assembled on Blyth Links.
In the evening, in the Central Hall, an address was presented to Mr
Bradlaugh on behalf of the Northumberland miners. In it was told their
appreciation of the services he had rendered "the poor, the neglected,
and the oppressed." It spoke of the prejudice against him on account
of his opinions, but they were happy to affirm that "no such paltry
feeling as this blinds the mining population of Northumberland to your
deserts as a politician and a reformer. It may please you to hear, as
it delights us to testify, that persons of all shades of opinion have
combined in the present manifestation of approval and esteem." And
indeed it appeared that Catholics, Wesleyans, Independents, Baptists,
and Presbyterians had all joined in presenting this address. As my
father stood there that night, listening to the eulogistic speeches
made about himself, and remembered how, but a few short years before,
he was unable to obtain a lodging in that very town of Blyth, he fairly
broke down. This address remained to the last one of his most treasured
possessions, and always occupied the place of honour on his study wall.
And the Northumberland miners were not less faithful than he. Year
after year he was invited to their annual gathering,[176] and when he
died, these poor men--who earn their wage under conditions often of the
most frightful hardship--not only sent individual subscriptions towards
the payment of the liabilities he had left behind him, but even voted
£50 from their funds to the same object. And not only did they do that,
but when his library was sold there were many who contrived to send the
money to buy one or two books, so that they might possess some memento
of the man whose eloquent tongue would speak to them no more.

[Footnote 176: In 1875 Mr Bradlaugh cancelled his acceptance of their
invitation, because Dr Kenealy was also invited. During my father'

Previous Next