Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-07
AN HOUR WITH MIR. STEAD.
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH,

BILE excuse that could think of for obtrud.
ing myself upon him. 1t is true, had q
card of Introduction from Canon Fremantle
But even that aid not suggest any real rea-
son for inviting myself into Mr.. stead's
apartments. 1 wondered If he would ask
me old St. Bernard's question-Ad quid
venistif-What are you here fort
Mr Stead's office as editor OF the Repieu of
Reutews and manager-general of the uni
verse, Is in Norfolk street, a little way from
the Strand. The windows look out over the
river, with the houses Of Parliament and
the Archbishop's palace at Lambeth in full
view, enabling the editor to keep his eye
upon the headquarters OF both Church and
State. Peter the Great had lodgings in this
neighborhood when he made his memorable
visit TO England, and William Penn was also
once a tenant Of one Of these old houses.
Here it is that Master Penn is reported to
have contrived that ingenious peeping.
hole by the front door that he might know
who knocked. One who waited called out to
his servant to know If his master would not
see him. Friend" answered the servant,
"he hath seen thee, but he does not like
thee" Probably he was a man with q book,
or with bill. Mr.. Stead is unprovided with
any such precaution. The man who wants
to see him is the man he wants to see.
Not Difficult of Access.
1T was at the corner of this same Norfolk
street that Sir Roger de Coverley, when the
Mohocks chased him, got away. Mr.. Stead
is a good policeman in that once dangerous
thoroughfare to make war on all Mohocks
who obstruct the traffic or spoil the pleasure
and the peace of mankind in general.
There are no high buildings in London, as
there are in all our cities here, with offices
among the clouds. Mr.. Stead receives his
visitors in the second story. The door OF the
sanctum opens, a servant announces that
the editor is at liberty, and in we go. Any
how there are two OF US and only one of him.
So courage and push on. But Mr.. Stead be-
gins to talk at once. He hardly waits to get
our names. Before we are fairly seated he
has begun with the "Pittsburg" written on
my card and is asking me questions. at the
rate of 20 a minute, about the troubles at
Homestead. There was no occasion for diff
fdence, and no use for wondering what
would be good topic for our conversation.
Mr.. Stead took all that quite into his own
hands.
The sanctum of the Reutew of Repiews, the
office Of the lay parson who has taken the
whole world for his parish, is good, large,
sunny room, with a big desk or two in it
Uttered with papers, with its walls lined
with well-flled Dookshelves and with every
remaining nook and Granny flied up with
photographs, chiefly of celebrities who
have been p1ctured-and perhaps pilloried-
in the ReUie,0. One familiar face is that Of
Mr.. Carnegie. Mr.. Carnegie had written to
him, Mr.. Stead remarked, to come and visit
him, but he had assured him at the sa me
time that he would not talk, and Mr.. Stead
has no use for men who will not talk. There
are two doors in the room, one for entrance
and one for exit. Over one is written "Un-
ka
the other, Expect Great Things From
God"
The Keynote of His Purposes.
THESE two sentences touch the keynote
of Mr.. stead's purposes, ambitions and &C.
complishments. He is a man OF religion,
first and all the time. He looks at every
subject from the religious point of view. 1t
is true that he Is not quite the kind of
Christian that might content the Arch
bishop of Canterbury. He was described in
one of the reviews the other day, with Mrs.
Ward and several others, as an
Christian;" that is, as one who
knows something about Chri'tianity, and is
very much interested in what,he knows, but
does not know 1t all. Nevertheless, with all
his departures from the orthodox theolo- |
gies, Mr.. Stead is that most desirable sort of
Christian, the man with q longing to do
good. He has passionate hunger AMI
thirst to make the world better sort of a |
place to live in. He is interested in every |
thing which looks in this direction. He |
measures the value of all events and all |
policies, according as they will help or |
hinder this great purpose, or uplift, to bene. |
fit, to save men from their sins. 1ill of Mr.. |
Stead's visitors come and go out under these |
significant sentences.
The conversation began with Homestead |
State arbitration, Mr.. Stead seemed to think, |
Is the only way out of the present industrial |
bog. And State arbitration is long step |
toward that State socialism whicn |
see prevail in all English-speaking |
countries. Then he spoke Of the condition |
Of the laboring classes in England, and of |
the efforts to change the conditions and |
make them easier and better Naturally,we |
the agencies which are at work in
East End of London iowa fd this reforma-
lion, especially Toynbee Hall and Oxford
House. or these two nota BILE university set
dement's in that abode of poverty, Mr. Stead
was most enthusiastic about Oxford House.
They are religious people there, he said.
They have been converted and they want to
somebody else. They are not afraid
,or ashamed to be religious. He was not so
ure of Toynbee Hall. 1t was a bit too liter
Try, secular, intellectual, for him.
As Restless as an American.
ALL this time he was walking up and
lown the room. A tall man, with brown
,eard. and quick, alert eyes, evident
y made of nerves, restless as an American,
N easy and interested and interesting
alker. seeming to take US quite into his
confidence. He knows everybody in Eng
and. and has an instant, definite and cpl
,rammatic opinion ofY everybody. My
riend had been staying at Mr.. Joseph
"well, and what" said he.
did you think of Josephft Has he any con-
cience?' Tom Mann was mentioned-the
reat Tom Mann the head of the Dockers'
Union, and one of the leaders of the new
Trades Unionism. Ah, but he had rod in
tickle for Tom Mannl What did he mean
y going down and making speeches
n favor of Sir Charles Dixie in the Forest of
)ean2 And that, too, after his assurance to
Ir. Stead that he was on the right side of
hat bad business.
And then the flood gates opened. Twice
We got up to go, but he waved us down. A
Iozen times cards were brought in from the
but no; the visitors must cool
heir heels till Mr.. Stead had toldeus the
tory of Sir Charles and Lady Dixie. Vt was
lot q pleasant story, and did not aSsnme
ny rose-colored hues in the telling. Mr..
tead had written up Sir Charles in the Vast
umper of the ReUieD of Reviews, and Nis
mind was full of the subject. In spite OF M
he objections of good people Sir CharA a.
ad been elected. and Mr.. Stead was natu
ally indignant. So he talked and talked
fl. Stead is immovably convinced that Sir
'harles and Lady Dixie are precious pair
# rascals. f1