Concerning the Suppressed Book. 565 



[ Times, J't'i<-' ist.\ 

 MR. FREDERIC HARRISON'S CHARGE. 



To the Editor of the Times. 



Sir : Will you oblige me by publishing the following letter, which 

 is a copy of one to Mr. Harrison, referred to by him in his letter con- 

 tained in The Times of Friday : 



Queen's Gardens, Bavswater, W., May 27, 1885. 



"Dear Sir: Here are my replies to the questions put in your 

 note of yesterday. 



" Just before the middle of January I received from my American 

 friend, Prof. Youmans, a letter dated January 2, containing, among 

 others, the following paragraphs : 



" ' And now we have something of a new embarrassment upon 

 which I must consult you. There is a pretty sharp demand for the 

 publication of your controversy with Harrison in a separate form, 

 and the publishers favour it. The question is not simply whether 

 it is desirable, for we cannot control it. There is danger that it will 

 be done by others, and if that should occur it would be construed as 

 a triumph of the Harrison party — the Spencerians having declined to 

 go into it. 



" ' If I thought no one else would print the correspondence (i. e., 

 the Nineteenth Century articles), I should be in favour of our not do- 

 ing it. In the first place, for general effect, rhetoric against reason 

 counts as about ten to one. The Comtists are reviving — Harrison is 

 coming over to lecture in this country, and much will be made of his 

 brilliant conduct of the controversy. In the pext place, he has this 

 advantage of you : your main work bearing upon the issue is to be 

 sought elsewhere, while Harrison had accumulated all the materials 

 of his assault and gives his whole case, so that the popular effect 

 could not fail to be much in his favour. To the narrower circle of 

 readers who can really appreciate the discussion, the republication 

 would undoubtedly be an excellent thing, and I suppose, after all, it is 

 only these that we should much care for. On the whole it may be 

 politic to reprint. What do you think about it ? ' 



" There was thus raised a quite unexpected problem. I had sup- 

 posed that the matter had ended with your letter to the Pall Mall 

 Gazette ; and having expressed (in the Nineteenth Century) my in- 



