YOUTH AND EARLY WRITINGS ^^ 



know that real, that is constitutional, freedom is his 

 plan.' 



It was in 1873 that he published a pamplilet called 

 ' Jack Brass, Emperor of England.' On the title-page 

 is an imaginary newspaper quotation, beginning, ' The 

 suit. Honour v. Brass, terminated on Tuesday.' It is 

 an ironically inflated appeal to one Jack Brass to make 

 himself omnipotent in England by means of gold, which 

 is first in most men's eyes, and of which he has more than 

 anyone : 



' The newspapers must be ordered to preach commu- 

 nistic ideas, because communism is the sure forerunner 

 of despotism in a commercial country which requires order, 

 that can only be guaranteed by the strong hand and single 

 will. To foster the growth of this feeling among the 

 people, strengthen and support those institutions which 

 put the idea partially into practice, such as co-operative 

 stores. Support the farmers' measure giving compensa- 

 tion for unexhausted improvements, as a form of com- 

 munism and calculated to weaken the Conservatives. 

 Establish a system of easy transfer of land, and abolish 

 primogeniture : these measures will destroy the sense of 

 absolute proprietorship, so opposed to communism. All 

 this will put greater power into the hands of the masses, 

 who are ultimately to delegate it to you. . . . Educate ! 

 educate ! educate ! Teach everyone to rely on their own 

 judgment, so as to destroy the faith in authority, and lead 

 to a confidence in their own reason, the surest method of 

 seduction. . . . Let women have the suffrage. ... No 

 man will be ashamed to commit a vulgar or evil action 

 from respect, esteem, or love for a woman. . . . Abolish 

 the calm influence of the Sunday. . . .' 



It is a jaunty, humorously-intended by-product of his 

 Conservatism, which served its purpose, if it gave him as 

 much satisfaction immediately as disgust later on. 



In 1873 also appeared ' Reporting, Editing, and x\uthor- 

 ship : Practical Hints for Beginners in Literature ' (John 

 Snow, Ivy Lane, Paternoster Row ; and Alfred Bull, 



