The World Pa\s Its Tribute. 



481 



preferred — half way between America and England. 

 I enjoyed the privilege of his acquaintance and 

 friendship for over thirty years. I have visited him 

 in gaol, when he was paying the penalty of the law 

 for journalistic indiscretions. No danger ever 

 appalled him. His stout spear was ever at the 

 charge on behalf of a losing side, to the general 

 detriment of his own interests. To make, not to 

 record, history was ever his noble and disinterested 

 ambition, or, as Dr. Clifford has so eloquently said : 

 " For Mr. Stead the press was a sword to cut down 

 the foes of righteousness ; a platform from which to 

 hearten and inspire the armies of the Lord ; a pulpit 

 from which to preach his crusades, a desk at which 

 he could expound his policy for making a new 

 ^heaven and a new earth. He was a man with a 

 mission, and journalism was the organ through which 

 he wrought at it. He wrote to get things done — done, 

 and not merely talked about." 



Although often profoundly differing from his views, 

 I have always regarded with affection and esteem his 



chivalrous and Quixotic character, and have admired 

 him, certainly during the early eighties, as the first of 

 journalists. Ir emember how, in the early eighties, he 

 forced by his articles entitled " The Truth about the 

 Navy " by One Who Knows, Mr. Gladstone, the most 

 powerful Minister of our time, to spend most grudg- 

 ingly an additional ;^6,ooo,ooo on the strengthening 

 of our Navy. I remember how he forced the same 

 reluctant Minister to send out Gordon to Khartoum, 

 and 1 never shall forget his heroic exertions to secure 

 the expedition of a relief column to Gordon's 

 assistance at a time when there waS good reason to 

 believe it would have' been successful. I remember 

 how he again practically single-handed literally forced 

 upon the Statute Book the Criminal Law Amendment 

 Act. 



I remember still more recently how at the Peace 

 Congress at \Vashington, nearly three years ago, he 

 endeavoured to obtain the general consent of the 

 civilised nations to the establishment of a financial 

 boycott of any Power which might wantonly rush into 



" Cod, even my God, kalh anoikted me wtik tAi 

 Cil ef gladness abcve my /ellovt." 



HOLliOWAY GAOL 



The card which he sent to his friends from Holloway Gaol in 1885-6. 



