The San Francisco call., 1906-10-07
Dedication Wins Fame
for Jesse Ceilings,
Author Statesman.


forgetfuIness, wherein lie many whose
flashing fame has lived but brief year
or two, has emerged Jesse Ceilings.
The average Englishman. il asked
month ago whs Jesse Ceilings might
be. would have hesitated. puzzled
awhile and probably finally have given
it up. Ask the same question today and
the answer would be prompt. For the
Right Hon. Jesse Ceilings, p. c..
NJ F., j. p. II. c. L., has of a sudden
again come into prominence by his pub
| lie acknowledgment of his obedience to
the fifth of. the ten commandments.
! When wealthy mana high and
mighty man-as men go, announces
/ that he sprang from lowly stock and
publicly acknowledges and honors his
/ peasant" mother. then truly that man
is a great man And this is what Jesse
! Ceilings has done He has just pub
! lished his fifth book. His first was
/ published forty years ago His works
! have been devoted eithe. TO the land
/ or the educational question. The work
! just issued bears the title, Land Re-
form, Occupying Ownership Peasant
Proprietary and Rural Education" The
| title tells the story. The greatness of
the manhood of the author is told on
one page The words on it are few.
They are of exquisite pathos. a lesson
IN koideh ScTlpt TOT the mlIllonS TEEN
ing this earth.
This Book
Is Inscribed
To the Cherished Memory of
a Noble Peasant Woman
By the Youngest and Last Survivor
OF Her Many Children.
GLORIFIEs JACK CADE.
His big book has been severely crit
icised. but for his dedication there has
been nothing but praise and gratitude.
Mr.. Ceilings devotes the most inter-
estlng chapters to historical matters
telling the story of the successive ef-
forts of which the British peasantry
from Watt Tyler's revolt downward
through the centuries have made to
emancipate themselves from serfdom
He writes like a revolutionist of the
leaders of the rebel laborers and gloF-
ifes Jack Cade. Reading the pages
one cannot doubt for moment that
Jesse Ceilings has genuine sympathy
with the class from wnlch he is justly
proud he sprang.
The story of his life is the story of
many an illustrious American who rose
from farmers boy to the pinnacles
OF the mighty. In the first place, Jes-
n Sc Ceilings is Mr.. Chamberlain's man
Friday" In the eighties he was in
the zenith of his glory. He was the
author of the most famous eatchword
and cry in the British political world,
which is, Three acres and cow" Tt
was Mr.. Ceilings and his amendment
TO the speech from the throne in 1885,
in which amendment. Three acres and
a cow" appeared. that turned the Sails
bury Government out of Office and
4 brought in Gladstone. But of late
years the bulk of .sBrummagem joe
has grown huge and so solid that
Jesse Ceilings has oeen lost in it.
sELF-MADE MAN.
Jesse Ceilings is a self-made man.
He was born at Littleham in 1881, the
last child of eighteen born to Farmer
Thomas Ceilings and his wife Eliza
beth. When 26 years old. he married
Z Emily. daughter OF Edward oxen
bould. a wealthy gentleman. whose
money added to young Ceilings patri-
mony started the latter in business
The firm of Ceilings & Wallis. general
merchants, was a success from the
start.
Jesse Ceilings, during the Civil War
in America, 9is,ted the United States
His firm did much business with Amer
lea and the foundation of his fortune
was made because of the trade during
and shortly after the war While in
, America Jesse met men of all degrees
| and knowing from his own case the
! value of education, made thorough
, turned to England he published his
first hook. 1t was entitled The Ameri-
i can system of Education. Mr.. Col
lings says today that he was taught
some of the most valuable lessons oi
his life while in the United States.
DISCIPLE OF CHAMBERLAIN.
! In 1867 Jesse Ceilings and Joseph
Chamberlain came together. fheS
: have never. separated since. Chamber
. lain was a screw manufacturer but hs
) was also q deep thinker like Ceilings
! And both of them had a love for the
! plain people. But Chamberlain was
also q master politician and he imbuet
Ceilings with his ideas.
Ceilings Three acres and a cow
amendment. which turned the Salisbur.
: Ministry out. was rewarded by Glad
stone with the appointment of parlia
naentary secretary to the Local Govern
nenf Board. the president of which wa
Z / hChamberiain. But when Chamberlain
: bsfised at the home rule bill in 1885
: Mr.. Ceilings followed his chief out O
. Office and went with him into the ranks
of the Unionists. During successive
ministries. he was Under Secretary 70
Home Affairs until 1902. He is
: Privy Councillor but his age bars hin
2 from very active politics now. and b.
I is content to watch his chief for ordes