The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-12-19
EMPORIA NEW S.
REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT IN tSeLAsl
What Charles Iiradlaugh Has to Say
synopsis of His Lecture at ciueInnati

j
One of the events OF the presen
lecture season is the visit of tn
eminent English Republican lead
er, Charles Bradlaugh, to the Uni
ted States. He has travelled from
the East to the West, having visit
ed the prominent cities of Kansas
q few days ago. Everywhere Mr.
Bradlaugh's fame and eloquenc,
have drawn the largest and, raos
intelligent audiences, and he hal
had an enthusiastic reception a
the hands of the American people
AS reading and thinking people
may desire to see what he has to
Say, we publish from the Cincin
natl Commercial the following
synopsis of his witty, eloquent
and interesting lecture at Pixies
opera house in that city, Tht
paper says Mr.. Bradlaugh had ut
tered a few pointed illusions, had
in fact, but generally sketched oui
the work before him, before the
audience was entirely his own
His manly uttcrances in advocacy
of his cause thrilled every heart to
which liberty and Republieanism,
as a system, are dear, and his
caustic references to the costly
pomp and notifying imbecility OF
the spoAging nobility Of England
drew from his hearers, who well
knew that he was informed on
what he spoke about, gusts OF
laughter, and many and prolonged
rounds of applause.
Being introduced to the audi
ence, Mr.. Bradlaugh said:
My subject this evening is the
Republican Movement in Eng
land" and it is, perhaps, well that
l should preface my lecture by
stating that I always speak from
free platform. and that if any
one has any objection to urge to
my views l should be glad at the
end of this address to afford him
or her the fullest opportunity of
making it. 1t is also, perhaps,
well to state what I mean by Re-
publicanism; for although speak
ing in a Republican country,
hold the doctrine that the name
given to q Government does not
always fairly denote the character
of that Government. For me a
Republic is that State in which
every citizen has the right to ex-
press an opinion upon the Govern
ment and it's formation, and in
which the majority of citizens ex-
ercise the duty which accompanies
that right.
The Republican movement in
England IS no sudden growth.
I do not'mean by that that it has
Arrays been known as a Republi-
can movement. 1t originated
about 1880 in London under the
leadership of Hardy, Tooke and
Therwall; in Scotland under Jer-
-rold, Skirving, Muir, Palmer and
Marganot. These men claimed
for the people political right, POI
litical life. The Scotch reformers
paid the penalty in terms of trans
portation varying from seven
years, in tho case of Jerrold and
Skirving, to fourteen, and even
twenty one years, in the cases of
other defendants. Undoubtedly
this movement of 1870 was the
echo of that cry of independence
which had been given nearer
where l speak, and which had been
re-echoed with terrible force in
the French portion of Europe.
Hardy, Tooke, and Therwall sue
ceeded in defeating the Govern
ment and their London correspon-
dent society, with it's branches,
was the type of the organization
for which ! am permitted to speak
today. The movement went on
to 1920, championed by such men
as Hunt, Goblet, Cartwright and
Burdett. and the bloody page OF
Peterloo would show you the
character of the opposition with
which that movement was met.
In 1882, the struggle ended in Civ
ing power to the middle classes;
but even this was not accorded
until fierce riots in Bristol, with
Nottingham Castle in flames, and
the threat of the Birmingham men
to march upon London, struck
terror to the coward heart of Will
liam ". The masses, who had
helped the middle classes into
power had little reason for con-
tent, and we therefore had the
Charities movement in 1S4S, and
although many of the chiefs
among the Charities advocates
were sent to Jail for various per
iods, many OF the points. they
claimed have since been admitted
by our legislature to be perfectly
reasonable and useful.
After this a wider movement
was developed, which, in 1866. had
its outcome in the Reform Bill
which gave, IN effect, political pow.
er to the residents of boroughs
but still left without the rights oil
citizenship the whole, or nearly
the whole, agricultural population
1t is since 1865 that the avowedIy
Republican movement has beer
developed, and its spread has beer
one of extraordinary rapidity
To-day we have climbs for the frs
time in the history of England
openly called Republican Clubs
holding their meetings without
concealment in nearly every grea
lefty and town in England.
After giving a list Of these club
Mr.. Bradlaugh proceeded to say
Probably the most notable fea
ture of this movement is to b.
found in the great Conferene
which was held in Birmingham, ii
thelaEge town hall of which near
ly six thousand persons were pres
ent, and at which meeting wit
only fifteen dissentients, a vot
was carried that a Republics
form of government was best ca
4 culated TO promote the prosperit
hof England.
Having shown You how the Re
publican movement has grown,
| will proceed to tell you why it ez
lists. One reason, but not the chic
one, is the enormous and indefeT
! sible increase of taxation. On
hundred and sixty years ago th
| taxation Of Great Britain va
: about E6,UOO, 000. To. day, inclut
! ing the cost of collection, it