The World Pays Its Tribute. 



479 



VISCOUNT ESHER, G.C.B., G.C.V.O 



I cannot attempt to write what is called an " appre- 

 ciation " of my old friend. I can only describe in a 

 lew lines ^Villiam T. Stead as I knew him. 



We met, for the first time, soon after the General 

 Election of 1880. Chinese Gordon, as everyone called 

 him at that time, brought us together. Owing to 

 circumstances, my life has run along lines which 

 enable me to state without exaggeration that no 

 e\-ents happened of material importance to the country 

 sinte the vear 1880 which have not been influenced by 



thirty years, have deserved high recognition from their 

 fellow-countr\-men. 



His influence upon public affairs was not spasmodic. 

 It never relaxed. Although he ran up many blind 

 alleys, he wonderfully sustained through life his onward 

 march. It is a curious and humiliating reflection that 

 such a man, so disinterested and so patriotic, could for 

 forty years ardently promote everything that is noblest 

 and best in the life of his country without receiving 

 anv public mark or recognition of his national and 



WAKE UP. THERE 1 IF YOU MEAN TO CONTINUE TO RULE THE WAVES. 



'I liis cartoon .ippearcd in " Judy " in OcIoIht, 1884, when .Mr. Mmd was wriliny l)i> taiiion-. .N.ivy ariicki. 



the personality of Mr. .Stead. This may seem to some 

 fantastic and to others possibly grotesque, but that i.> 

 only because of the very natural tendency in the minds 

 of those who ofTicially control, or think they control, 

 public aflairs to believe that they alone carry weight 

 when great decisions have to be taken. 



If Mr. Stead's public service was to be measured only 

 by his achievement when war between Great Itrilain 

 and Russia hung in the balance on account of what 

 was known as the Penjdch incident, and by his first 

 campaign in favour of liic-Kavy, he would take rank 

 among the comparatively few who, during the past 



imperial work. He died poor and unrewarded. Vet he 

 wa-s rich in the esteem of many noble minds, and 

 honoured by the confidence of the greatest among his 

 contemporaries. I once said in General Gordon. " Vou 

 appear to mc always walking witli God." Ho replied. 

 " Some of us do. Look at Stead." 



Captain Fisher of the Excellent thirty years ago 

 called him the Missionary, fearless even when alone, 

 believing in his God— the God of Truth— a man of 

 big heart and great emotions ; an exploder of " gas- 

 bags," and the terror of liar;. 



Lord Fisher, since his dc.ith. has written of him, 



