156 



Th3 Hei/iew of Reviews. 



August 1, 1906. 



Photo.^ 



Mr. Phitip Snowden. M.P. [£. H. Mills. 



In returning his proof Mr. A. Richardson added 



the following intere'sting remarks about the influence 



of' his earlv religous training upon his career. 



National Scliool. Enst Brig'hton (native place), and the 

 Magnus Grammar School. Xewark-on-Trent. were the 

 schools in wliich I was educated. I was taken, child in 

 arms, to Primitive Methodist Sund^iy scliool. Joined the 

 Church Primitive Methodiati when sixteen years of age, 

 and have heen a local preicher on the Primitive Methodist 

 plan twenty-seven year^. M.v chief training as a speaker 

 waa secured in the streets and square?, in mission work, 

 and in the pulpit; and I do not hesitate to say that had 

 I never been a Primitive Methodist local preacher. I should 

 never have been a Member of Parliament. In short, my 

 qualification of P.M. made me M.P. 



JAMES ROWLAXDS (Kent, Dartford). 



B. 1851, in London. Ed., Working Men's Col- 

 lege. Occ, Watchcase Maker. 



The position to-day as compared with the time when I 

 had to get my early reading is vastly changed. To-day a 

 young man has at hand in most instances a well-stocked 

 public library and cheap editions of the best books. 

 When an apprentice, my supnlv of books was obtained 

 largely from the boxes outside the second-hand book- 

 shops. I well remember purchasing a second-hand copy 

 of Cobbetts Grammar, which I found of great service. 

 The writing? of Cobden and Kossutli's speeches were also 

 very useful to me. I read everything that came in my 

 way, solid books and the best novels, and I gained much 

 information from books not included in the magic hun- 

 dred. John Stuart Mill's " Eepre.sentative Government" 

 and his " Liberty " made a profound impression on my 

 mind. The writings of Huxley, Carpenter, and Sir Charles 

 Lyell fell in mv way. The monthly reviews I constantly 

 perused. After Shakesneare I absorbed Bvron and Shelley, 

 while not neglecting the minor poets. Shelley opened up 

 a wide field of vision to me. The greatest of all things 

 for youth is to be eclectic. History always appealed to 

 me. and the Revolutionary period, both in France and 

 England, was my special study. Burke and consequently 

 Paine and Macintosh's Replies were very helpful in the 

 domain of civil government. JAiTES RO\\T.ANDS. 



J. A. SEDDON (Lancashire, Xewton Div.). 



B. at Prescot, i868. Ed.. Xational and Board 

 School. Occ. Grocer's Assistant and Com- 

 mercial Traveller. 

 My boyhood was spent in a strong Ridlcal and Non- 



conformist home. The booTss. chiefly the Bible, Carlyle- 

 and Chartist literature- 



In earlv manhood I began to speak and study social 

 questions, which brought me into contact with the Labour 

 movement. I read anything and everything that cam& 

 my way. Through a book club I secured a fair library, 

 which 'contains Carlyle's works and most of the text- 

 books, or well-known authorities on social and Labour 

 questions, and last, but not least, most of the poets. 



I think the first step to my present political views was 

 prompted by Kidds ■" Social Evolution." I cannot, how- 

 ever, sive any si>ecial course adopted. I read a deal, did 

 what I could for my class, and by accident got into Par- 

 liament.— Yours sincerely, J- -^- SEDDON. 



D. J. SHACKLETON (Lancashire, Xorth-east). 

 B. 1863, Accrington. Ed., Elementary School. 

 Occ, Textile Worker. Rel., Wesleyan. 



In regard to your letter. I cannot say that any particular 

 hook influenced me in my youth or early manhood. The 

 Mnuchenter Guardian was my chief instructor on political 

 and social questions, and the practical experience gained 

 since I was twenty of official trade union work has been 

 my chief guide.— Yours truly, D. J. SHACKLETON. 



PHILIP SNOWDEN (Blackburn). 



B. 1864, Yorkshire, West Riding. Ed.. Board 

 School. Occ, Civil Service. Rel. of parents,. 

 Wesleyan. 



Mr. Snowden (writes his wife) has asked me to forward 

 you the names of a number of books which bav** been 

 helpful to him. 



The novels of Scott. Dickens, Thackeray, and Eliot were 

 the delight of his boyhood days. Later, the most influen- 

 tial books were Kirkup's "Enquiry into Socialism," Ely's 

 '"Socialism: Its Strength and Weakness." iforris's poems. 

 Tennyson's poems. These inclined him towards Socialism, 

 and proved its unanswerableness. 



An alertne.ss for news and an interest in politics has 

 made him the keenest of newspaper readers. 



But men have taught him more things than books, anc? 

 a close observation of the minds and manners of the 

 people amongst whom he has lived has taught him more 

 than the library of 2000 volumes he has aceumulated. 



Channing's " Seimons " were powerful factors in the 

 broadening of his religious ideas. 



W. C. STEADMAX (Fiasburv. Central). 



B. 1852. Occ. Bargebuilder. 



I gained most of my experience in the hard school of 

 adversity from my boyhood days upwards. I have also 

 read a large number of books, the Bible. Shakespeare, and 

 mv favourite autiiors on social and iudustrlal questions 

 are S. Webb. H. George. E. Blatchford. Thorold Rogers, 

 Kiugslev and Euskiu. — Yours trulv. 



W. C. STEADJIAN. 



THOMAS SUMMERBELL (Sunderland). 



B. 1861. Co. Durham. Ed., Private and National 

 Srhools, Occ, Printer. Rel., Church of Eng- 

 land. 



As a lad Dickens's books were my favourites, but in later 

 years tl;e literature issued by the I/abour movement im- 

 pressed me most. Tlie various books and leaflets issued 

 bv the I.L.P.. Nuiiquam's " Merrie Entclaiid." " Britain for 

 tlie British." the Fabian literature, have all helped me; 

 not forgetting Mr. Booth's "Darkest England." Henry 

 (Jeorge's works, and the books of the Land Nationalisa- 

 tion Society.— Tours truly, THOMAS S0MMESBELL. 



J. W. TAYLOR (Durham. Chester-le-StreetV 



B. 1861, Durham, Self-educated (began work at 

 .six vears old). Occ, Blacksmith, 



Tlie books that first impressed me were Burns's poems 

 and Shakespeare's works. Later. Wayland's " Moral 

 Science." Geors-e Macdonald's novels. Scott's novels. John 

 Euskin's "Unto This Last" was lent me. and it hnd much 

 to do in forming opinions. Cowper, Lorgfellow, Whittier. 



