Evening star., 1921-10-02
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

| Anti-monarchical movements in
England had developed occasionally
l. in the course of sew
Bradlaugh's eral centuries. One of
"Republic. them reached the
point of discussion
dfty years ago when Charles Brad
laugh. who figured for long time in
British politics. advocated the estab
lishment Of republic In The Star
Of September 26. 1871, is the following
discussion OF this situation.
Charles Bradlaugh. the leader OF
the English radical republicans, has
divulged to World correspondent the
plans and expectations of his party.
Bradlaugh fully expects to be Presi
dent OF the British republic in 1876.
He states that he is only afraid the
crisis will come too soon-that he is
strong enough to pull down the mon
archy, but not strong enough to erect
| on its ruins a republic. According to
Bradlaugh, there are two great move
| ments OF which he Is the head-one is
| the republican movement. the other
the free-thought secular or infidel
| movement. There are now in Great
Britain sixty-eight avowed republican
| clubs. with an aggregate membership
I OF $4,000 men. and II Is estimated that
! there are $4,000 ardent republicans in
the Kingdom outside of the inf1del re-
publtcans. There is no central or
ganixation to govern these associa-
| tfons. but Bradlaugh seems to be held
| as the leader.
The republican strength is made up
FNR pptt te,nv, t~v, .ivrnN Nnf
| wholly in towns, as nothing can be
| hone with the agricultural class
Bradlaugh. however. asserts that the
farmers will make no trouble when
| the revolution comes. He hopes that
| the revolution may not come until
at any moment-by the death of the
queen. for instance. or by her being
officially declared incapable of longer
| exercising the duties by reason OF
mental alienation. The republicans
! will not permit a regency: they will
line of princes to rule them.
'The republic must be poclaimed.
The revolution need not be violent
| one. Parliament is all powerful.
other may undo. The reigning family
holds the throne. not by what is
called divine right" but by virtue Of
| an act of parliament. Parliament may
| repeal this act and the republic set
up peaceably. But. should it not, IL
| will be attained 'by bloodshed."
| "Brsdlaugh's republic does not seem
| to be altogether a wholesome one.
| according to American ideas. He pro
| poses to establish 1t on an fnndel
| basis. having no written constitution
| There is positively to be no such
| thing as divine sanctions of law: the
| idea of any authority higher than
man himself. which may. give laws
| to man. is to be abrogated; whatever
| laws are framed are to rest solely on
| the authority of the majority for the
! time being. and not on any idea that
! a supreme being has ordained certain
! principles of action, with which these
! laws are in harmony. Education is
| to be wholly secular, divorced from
| all idea of duty TO God. Further.
| Bradlaugh hints that agrarianism-a
| division of the land among the peo-
| ple-wili be an Indispensable feature
| Of the revolutionary program.
"It is apparent that Bradlaugh is a
! visionary, and 1t is quite certain that
his model republic must be repugnant
| to the thoughts and feelings OF an
Immense majority OF the people OF
| Great Britain: but it Is not unlikely
the large cities that makes him an
object Of some uneasiness to the gov
ernment. The large concessions
made year by year by the ruling
| powers to the cause of liberal reform
show that they recognize the fact
that if these privileges are not
readily granted the people may reach
will probably never be president. but
Great Britain will be virtually re-
| public before many years. and doubt
less in q perfectly peaceful way.