The World Pays Its Tribute. 



475 



Press to popularize the Imperial idea than Stead, the 

 Pro-Boer of later days. Imperialism (as he conceived 

 it) made him " a Home Ruler before Mr. Gladstone " ; 

 and the Liberal leader, who has been stung and 

 estranged by Stead's taunts about " the policy of 

 scuttle," sent him a public message of reconciliation 

 and approval at the time of the Home Rule " Kite." 

 But Mr. Gladstone's satisfaction with his unruly 

 follower was short-lived. Stead believed in Home 

 Rule as a first step towatds federation ail round ; and 

 from this point of view he was a fierce opponent of 

 the exclusion of the Irish members from the Imperial 

 Parliament as proposed in the Bill of 1886. 



One direction in which Stead took his own line was 

 towards a strong Navy. His "Truth about the Navy," 

 though it appeared at a time when the agitation of 

 1884 about the franchise was at its height, created a 

 decisive impression, and compelled the Government 

 to introduce Supplementary Navy Estimates in the 

 autumn session of that year. The case had been 

 presented with all the resources of journalistic 

 emphasis, but Stead had behind him and behind the 

 scenes the expert knowledge of naval officers who 

 have since risen to high distinction. His crusade was 

 a complete success because he was sure of all his 

 facts. In the last few years he returned to the subject, 

 and pressed for " two keels to one " as against 

 Germany. 



The case was different in the next " sensation " 

 with which Stead startled the town. This was the 

 notorious series of " revelations " to which he gave 

 the name " The Maiden Tribute of Modern Rabylon." 

 Long ago, at Darlington, he had taken a strong line 

 against the Contagious Diseases Act, and he had 

 formed friendships with Mrs. Josephine Butler and 

 other Abolitionists. Early in 1885 information had 

 been brought to him about the " white slave trade." 

 What couM he do to help the passage of the Criminal 

 Law .Aniendment Bill then before the House ol 

 Commons, with very slender chances of becoming law 

 that Session ? He resolved to apply the .same 

 methods of personal inquiry and " sensational journal- 

 ism " which had been successful in regard to the 

 Navy. Impulsive, reckless, careless of his own 

 reputation as he was in most respects, he took one 

 precaution in the idle hope of protecting himself from 

 subse(|uent misrepnscntation ; before entering into 

 the labyrinth, he confided his purposes to the .Arch- 

 bishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the 

 Cardinal ,\ri hbishop of Westminster, and Lord 

 Dalhousie. They warned him of the dangers, and, 

 while witnesses of liis i/ofiit fules, were in no way 

 rcs|KMisil)le for his methods. Having collecie I his 

 information. Stead determined to publish it broadcast. 

 He had convinced himself that nothing except an 

 open appeal to the jjublii: conscience would suflicc to 

 <arry the Bill and to create the public opinion 

 neces.sary for its due enforcement. \ storm of 

 execration burst upon his head ; the revelations, it 

 was said, ought nut to have been mnile if true, and 



besides they were "a pack of lies." One of the 

 most shocking of the revelations was the story of a 

 little girl who, it was alleged, had been sold by her 

 parents. The editor of Lloyds Ncius presently dis- 

 covered the facts, which were that the girl had been 

 procured by an agent of Stead, and without the guilty 

 knowledge of the parents. Stead was placed on trial 

 for abduction. He had been deceived by his agents, 

 and he had overstepped the limits of justifiable sen- 

 sationalism by describing as a typical incident what 

 was in fact an experiment of his own. He was 

 sentenced by Mr. Justice Lopes at the Central 

 Criniin.il Court on Noveml)er 4, 1885, to three 

 months' imprisonment. After a few days he was 



William Stead as a Boy. 



made a first-class misdemeanant, and -he conducted 

 his paper from a not incommodious cell in Holloway 

 Gaol. He became a great friend of the Governor, 

 who presented him, on liberation, with the suit of 

 prison clothes which he had worn at Coldbath Fields. 

 For many years Stead held a reception of his friends 

 and admirers on the anniversary of his conviction, 

 and on these occasions he always wore his Order of 

 the Broad Arrow. Whatever may be thought of his 

 methods, it cannot be denied that his crusade did in 

 fact carry the Criminal Law .\mendment Act and 

 give impetus to international etVorts towards checking 

 the " white slave trade." 



THK " RliVlKW Ol' REVIKWS." 



This episode in Stead's life brought him as many 

 friends as enemies. He became one of the best 

 known |i'-rsi)n.igi-s of the dav, and he made frequent 



