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CHARLES
BRADLAUGH
A RECORD OF HIS LIFE AND
WORK BY HIS DAUGHTER.
HYPATIA BRADLAUGH BONNER.
With an Account of his
Parliamentary Struggle
Politics and Teachings
by John M. Robertson,
M.P. . Seventh Edition
With Portraits and Appendices
T. FISHER UNWIN
LONDON—— LEIPSIC
ADELPHI TERRACE—— INSELSTRASSE 20
1908
PREFACE.
"I wish you would tell me things, and let me write the story of yourlife," I said in chatting to my father one evening about six weeksbefore his death. "Perhaps I will, some day," he answered. "I believe Icould do it better than any one else," I went on, with jesting vanity."I believe you could," he rejoined, smiling. But to write the story ofMr Bradlaugh's life with Mr Bradlaugh at hand to give information isone thing: to write it after his death is quite another. The task hasbeen exceptionally difficult, inasmuch as my father made a point ofdestroying his correspondence; consequently I have very few letters tohelp me.
This book comes to the public as a record of the life and work of amuch misrepresented and much maligned man, a record which I have sparedno effort to make absolutely accurate. Beyond this it makes no claim.
For the story of the public life of Mr Bradlaugh from 1880 to 1891,and for an exposition of his teachings and opinions, I am fortunatein having the assistance of Mr J. M. Robertson. We both feel thatthe book throughout goes more into detail and is more controversialthan is usual or generally desirable with biographies. It has,however, been necessary to enter into details, because the mosttrivial acts of Mr Bradlaugh's life have been misrepresented, and forthese misrepresentations, not for his acts, he has been condemned.Controversy we have desired to avoid, but it has not been altogetherpossible. In dealing with strictures on Mr Bradlaugh's conductor opinions, it is not sufficient to say that they are without[Pg viii]justification; one must show how and where the error lies, and wherepossible, the source of error. Hence the defence to an attack, to ourregret, often unavoidably assumes a controversial aspect.
A drawback resulting from the division of labour in the composition ofthe book is that there are a certain number of repetitions. We trust,however, that readers will agree with us in thinking that the gain ofshowing certain details in different relations outweighs the fault of afew re-iterations.
In quoting Mr Bradlaugh's words from the National Reformer, I havefor the sake of greater clearness and directness altered the editorialplural to the first per