The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-27
The Great Englishman Is Unconscious, and
His Condition Is Hopeless.


LONDON, March 26.-Mr. John Bright has
suffered another relapse, and is very weak.
He has not taken food for thirty-six hours,
except from a spoon. DR.. Hoyle, Mr..
Bright's physician, says he is gradually
sinking.
10P. MIR. Bright is unconscious, and
his condition is hopeless.
LONDON, March 27.-At midnight last
night Mr.. Bright was reported to be sink
ing. He was still unconscious. The Queen
and the Prince and Princess of Wales have
sent messages of sympathy to the family.
John Bright was born at Greenbank, near
Rochdale, in Lancashire. afterwards the
cradle of cooperation in England, on Nov.
16 1911. He comes from family of Quak-
ers, his father, Jacob Bright, having set up
hand-loom in 1902 in the neighborhood of
Rochdale, thus laying the foundation of the
important cottOn-spinning industry which
the sons developed.
His earnestness, common estimate
of every question and his marked faculty
2Or impressing the common people with
homely arguments, have been widely at
trlbuted to his Quaker training and SIM
plicity of early manners. He was in part
educated at Ackworth. well-known
Friends school, and latter went to school
at York and Newton. In February, 1927,
when a little more than fifteen years old,
he entered his fathers business, but was al
ready so much interested in public affairs
that, in 1880, he began to speak at temper
ance meetings near ROchdale.
In 1888 young Bright made his first visit
to the continent, and during the next few
years made brief visits to France. Germany
and the East His observations during
these travels formed the subject of some
lectures before the ROchdale Literary and
Philosophical Society.
When the question of national education
came before the public in 1885, Mr. Bright
took warm interest in the movement, and
was first brought into contact with Richard
Golden: of Manchester, Up to the time of
Cobden's death. in 1866, the great fTee-trade
leader had no more enthusiastic ally than
John Bright.
At first the work of Bright and Golden
was directed to the extension OF primary
education. Neither was an original men,
Der of the Anti-cOrn-law Association.
formed at Manchester in 1888; but when, at
CObden'S suggestion, the association was
changed into the National Anti-corn-law
League, Mr.: Bright's name was second on
the list of the committee, and he and his
father, Jacob Bright. contributed to the
fund. In 1S41, at Cobden's invitation,
Bright entered the struggle against the
corn laws, which first brought him promi-
| nently before the public. He attacked the
| problem Oh moral rather than on political
grounds.
In 1S43 he was nominated for Parliament
as representative of Durham, and though
| at first defeated he was elected at second
off ta6
| seated for bribery. On the seventh day sof
| August, 1S43, John Bright delivered his
| first speech in Parliament in support of a
motion concerning the customs revenues,
| and was largely instrumental In winning
| over Sir Robert Peel and securing the abo-
| HtiOn of the corn laws.
| Mr.. Brights next work was In opposition
to movement upon behalf of operators in
factories proposing to fix the legal days
| work al ten hours. He maintained that
the workmen and their employees should be
| left to regulate their mutual relations; but
even his own work people forwarded a pc
| titiOn to Parliament in favor of the bill
and in June 1S47 it became q law. That
affect his popularity was shown in his
| election to Parliament the same year for
| Manchester. The important subjects upon
which he worked at that time were various
proposals for the relief of Ireland and the
search for supply of cotton outside OF
| America.
| Mr.. Bright shared with Golden the alb
h0rrence of war which Led to the eacs
| congresses of that time. He also opposed
the demand for increased ornaments which
followed the coup d. etat of 1852 in France
When England drifted into war with Rus
sia, MIR. Bright opposed the government
and his own constituents and in 1855 hs
made some memorable speeches against ths
| continuance of the war. In 1856 he re
tired from Parliament, but was returned
by Birmingham in August 1857.
While actively at work In favor of tn,
| extension of the franchise, the civil war il
this country divided England. John Brigh
was conspicuous in support of the Union
though his own business and that of tn,
whole cotton manufacturing districts suf
fered terribly. AS n member of the Society
standing like rock upon the side of the
North. On May 8, 1851, Lord John Russell
announced in the House of Commons that
after consulting the law officers o.
the crown, the government were of tn,
opinion that the Southern Confederacy O
America must be recognized as a belligeren
power, and on the 18th there appeared
proclamation of neutrality. Mr.. Brigh
first spoke publicly on the subject at
meeting of his townsmen, ut Rochdale OF
Aug. 1. mo man." he said. us more il
favor of peace than am; no man has de
nounced war more than have, probably
in this country; few men in their public lif
have suffered more Obloquy-I had almos
said more indignity-in consequence of il
But / cannot for the life of me see. upol
any Of those principles upon which state