Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-20

How the Famous Englishman Looks,
Acts, and Talks.
Cor. Boston Herald.
LONDON, March 81, 1SS2.-Charles Bradlaugh
Is the Sarah Bernhardt of British politics. He
Is the best advertised man in Europe. He
knows how to turn every little atom of public
sentiment into sensation for his own uses. He
guides his conduct upon the settled principle of
doing what will get him into the most apparent
trouble and cause him the least actual inconve-
nience. He goes around perpetually with q
emp on his shoulder. daring the whole world to
knock it of. But he holds CLUB in the other
hand with which to hit the fellow who accepts
bis invitation. And If he gets good chance to
thump his man below the belt, 30 much the
worse for the man.
found Mr.. Bradlaugh the other morning in a
big, square room over piano store. ON Circus
road. st. Johns Wood. The apartment was,
perhaps. 20 feet square, and had four long win
dows, which ran from the floor nearly to the
high ceiling. There were books everywhere
All four walls Of the room were covered with
them, in cases. They were stacked up In heaps
on the floor. The desks held piles of them, till
their legs creaked under the load. And in the
middle Of this chaos of volumes sat the gentle
man who has been responsible for a similar con-
dtion in good many parts of Great Britain at
different times. Before him. on the top of
large desk, was q heap of unanswered CORES
pOndence. quite as v0luminous and disarranged
as the most ramshackle Bohemian could have
wished or dreamed Of If men of genius are
disorderly, or, rather II disorder is an indica-
ton OF genius, Mr. Bradaugh Ia tower of men,
tai strength. But, whether this be true or not,
should hate to pick him up for q weakling and
chance it. He rose and extended his hand as I
threaded my intellectual way toward him. Tall
and stout, with broad though slopng shoulders,
high but rather peaked forehead thinly
matched with rusty gray hair. hazel eyes, q
small nose. round face and q mouth that opens
md 0hrIfl iHnn or fron -,
Mr. Bradlaugh impressed me as a singular
COMBINATION OF PUGNACIrY AND GOOD HUMOR,
blended with certainly uncommon amount of
physical and mental force. He had been re-
turned from Northampton few days before my
visit, upon the heels Of his dismissal from Par
lament for having taken the oath In defiance of
the rules of the House. His course since COM
Ing back to town bad, to the public eye, been
singulary uncertain one.
'What are you going to do?" asked
eight" was his brief reply, as he looked
me In the face with an expression which indi-
Gated surprise that 1 should ask such ques-
ton. When asked him how he meant to pro-
ing himself. was glad to hear it. Mr.. Brad
laugh, like our own champion infidel, Col.
IngersOll, is man of the most careful habits
personally. He drinks only occasionally. and
then nothing but light caret. For many years
he was an absolute teetOtaler, and he began
finally to indulge himself in thin wine upon the
urgent advice of his physician. Smoking he
knows not. In dressing he is neat, not gaudy.
He wears black brOadclOth. which hangs in
the way that fabric usually hangs: plain.
pleated shirt with scanty rundown collar, no
studs, and q slender watch-chain. He has
earned q good deal of money In his time, but,
upon the morning Of my visit, he was almost at
the bottom OF his resources, the last election
having very nearly bankrapted him. But.
day later, very considerable subscription from
the admirers Of stern and unyielding devotion
to the task OF upsettlng ordinary theories once
more placed him upon his feet. He has some
thing of an income from the numerous books he
has placed upon the market. but the expenses
very large. no matter how frugal may be his
personal habits. Mr.. Bradaugh has two daugh-
ters and himself to support. That Is the extent
OF his family. his wife, who was for long
time an invalid. died some years ago, and since
her demise the Misses Bradlaugh have, been to a
great extent, reared under the supervisory care
of Mrs. Besant whose name has long been linked
with that Of Mr. Bradaugh in ways not graft
tying. but, l believe, unjust to some extent.
He spoke Of her to me the other day with some
earnestness and feeling.
81 first met Mrs. Besant," said Mr. Bradlaugh,
"when was editing paper called tho Refo17ner
She had done and said some bold things in the
same field of religious unbelief as that which
mental power. l accordingly invited her to
write for the paper which was under my man.
agement She did so During this time the
gentleman who had been in the habit of pub
fishing her works and mine was arrested on
charge of disseminating improper literature
The charge was based upon the republication of
a pamphlet which, some forty years previously.
had been put upon the market under the title of
FRUITS OF PHILOSOPHY
This book was written by q man named
Knowlton and brought out by publisher
named James Watson. Our publisher bought
the stereotype plates Of this volume and
number Of others from Watson's widow. ana
without ever reading the published new edi-
lions. This resulted in his arrest. aud, much
to my surprise, he declined to insist upon his
right to bring such book out and proposed.
in order to avoid the trouble and expense Of a
suit. to acknowledge that the work was i'm
proper and to call it in l should. I'm all prOba-
blity. have declined to publish this book if the
original manuscript had been brought to me-
But my objections would have been profess
siOnal and not sentimental. That is to say, the
book was badly written, but its contents were
t nos nn %RsGpsr still could not allow
to run away from this responsibility and
take no hand in The battle myself. If
had it would have been submit
ting to virtual acknowledgment from him
that my publications were also immoral SO
determined to reprint the book myself and to
defy the authorities Mrs. Besant was in the
same boat with me on this question and she
stood to her post with great bravery. You re-
member that we were condemned to six months
imprisonment and the payment I fine Of 600.
or 81 600. We fought the thing through. how
ever. succeeded in getting the sentence re-
vOked. and even secured return of the copies
of the work which had been seized Our next
labor was to revise the book and put it upon
the market, where thrty-eight editions have
been sold. Had the authorities taken no act on
In the matter the Fruits of Philosophy would
probably never have gone beyond the first edi-
tOn The friendship which these adventures
produced has been OF the most enduring kind
and people may say of it and Of US just what
they like.
do not fully concur in the very high opinion
which Mr.. Bradiaugh's adherents have formed
concerning his greatness. They would place
him at the head of their forthcoming republic as
THE BIGGEST INTELLECT IN ENGLAND
He is simply strong man, tenacious fighter.
and a stickler for every one of his rights. no
matter how trivial that right may be. He is no
charlatan, and would have made his mark in
the world even If he had pursued the prosaic
path. AS it is. he made a wider mark by choos-
ing turbulent and excited methods. The nation
may congratulate itself upon having made him.
II they were to let him alone for a year. even
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