From the day of its formation the Wilberforce Club had prospered, and
although it could never boast of more than sufficient funds to carry
out its modest requirements, the principal of which were books and
newspapers, it had become in some sense a political power in the
district. As was right, Mr. Bartholomew, to whom its existence was
due, was elected its first president, a position which he filled for
many years; but although he was still in vigor of life, he had
resolved to retire from the office, and, in spite of all attempts to
induce him to withdraw his resignation, he insisted that it was time a
new president should be appointed.
"You want new blood, my lads," he said; "you might as well have a king
over you as a president who reigns all the years of his life. A
stirring up of the waters is good for the people. If the new man
doesn't work to your satisfaction I will take office again, perhaps.
The vacation will rub the rust off me."
It was, therefore, for the purpose of choosing another president that
the Wilberforce Club mustered in full force. It was bruited about, and
indeed known to some few, that there was a likelihood of the
introduction of a personal matter at the meeting which might prove
exciting and interesting. Mr. Bartholomew had found it no easy task to
keep well in hand a strong and full-blooded team such as the members
of this working-man's club. Boys with ideas, and with a fresher and
more advanced kind of education than their parents had received, had
grown to be men, and were playing their part at the club meetings and
in the social gatherings; and to this younger element the prospect of
a change in the direction of affairs was not unpalatable. Upon Mr.
Bartholomew the necessity of keeping a tight hand upon these youthful
members, whose ideas were apt to run ahead of the times, had
frequently impressed itself.
There were two candidates for the presidency. One was Mr. Richard
Chappel, who had taken part in the initiatory meeting at which
the club was constituted. He was then somewhat of a timid orator,
but he was an apt scholar, and was now fully competent to conduct
working-men's meetings. He was fairly popular, and had many
supporters. The other candidate was Kingsley Manners, who was popular,
and a favorite with all the members of the Wilberforce Club. By some
he was considered not strict or strong enough to lead, but a good
proportion of those who entertained this notion had determined to
support him. It was not of his own wish that he had come forward for
the office. He had been proposed by a powerful section who believed
that through him it could work its own ends. The backbone of this
section were the young members, who were always ready to take a
foremost part in any agitation--such as entertainments, in the heart
of which lurked some political object: processions against, or in
favor of, some measure which was then being discussed in the House of
Commons; the right of public meeting in public places, and so forth.
These ambitious and hot-blooded members had been kept in moderate
subjection by Mr. Bartholomew, and now rejoiced in the prospect of a
president of less force of character.
Nansie's uncle, Mr. Loveday, was also a member of the Wilberforce. He
had joined it at Nansie's solicitation, who was in anxiety lest
Kingsley, through his easy nature, should be prevailed upon to take
part in some violent movement. Mr. Loveday's reports to her had
removed this cause of alarm.
"Kingsley does no harm at the club," he said; "it is an amusement and
a relaxation to him. He knows that he is liked by all the members, and
the knowledge affords him pleasure; and he obtains there books and
papers which occupy his mind, and which otherwise would be out of his
reach."
Kingsley's candidature for the presidency had, however, seriously
discomposed Mr. Loveday. He saw beneath the surface, and suspected
that Kingsley was simply put forward to assist the views of others.
Mr. Bartholomew opened the proceedings.
"You know," he said, "what we are met to decide. This is the last
occasion--at least, for some time--upon which I shall take the chair
at the gatherings of the Wilberforce; but that will not lessen my
interest in its welfare, and I shall work quite as hard and earnestly
as a soldier in the ranks as I have done in the position of your
chief. Now, I want to give you a little bit of advice. Times are
different from when this club was first started; men and opinions are
more advanced; there is a better kind of education going on in the
land, and people who, under the old ways, would never have learned to
read and write can now do both very well. But I want to warn you. It's
a good thing to be able to read and write, but it's a better thing to
be able to profit by these advantages. Go ahead we must; the onward
march cannot be stopped; but beware of going ahead too fast. Slow and
sure is a motto I was not very fond of when I was a young man, but I
have learned its value since, especially in such movements as ours.
There is no telling what changes the next fifty years may see; in my
opinion they will be more startling than any that has gone before; but
in order that these changes shall be for the real benefit of the
people--that is to say, of us--it will be necessary to look before we
leap. Now, I am not going to particularize; I am speaking in a general
sense. There are individual instances of wrong with which I sympathize
as much as any of you can do, but I don't intend to make any such
instance a ground for general action. What we have to attend to is the
interest and prosperity of ourselves as a body. According to the
rules, you are now to elect a president for the year. You have done me
the honor of re-electing me again and again for a number of years, and
I believe I have given you satisfaction. I hope that our new president
will work as I have done--for the general good of all."
Mr. Bartholomew having resumed his seat, a member rose to propose Mr.
Richard Chappel as president. He was duly seconded, and then another
member proposed Mr. Kingsley Manners, who was also seconded. There
being no other candidates, the aspirants for office addressed the
meeting:
"I propose," said Mr. Chappel, "to tread in the footsteps of our late
worthy president, Mr. Bartholomew. I quite agree with him in all his
opinions, and all he has done. More haste, less speed. We have never
been in a hurry, and we have done a good deal since we started. In
elections we have made ourselves a bit of a power, and the reason of
this is that we have always seen where we were going to fix our nails;
we have not knocked them wildly about, and made holes in wrong places.
If you elect me as your president, I will do the best I can in the
office."
"Good," said Mr. Bartholomew.
"Good," also said and thought many of the elder members; but the
younger ones looked at each other and shook their heads.
"Richard Chappel promises nothing," said one, starting up.
"What do you want him to promise?" asked Mr. Bartholomew; and, as
young Hotblood could not exactly say, he sat down abashed, but in no
wise satisfied.
"That is it," said Mr. Bartholomew; "and I should like you to bear it
in mind. I don't wish to influence you, nor to say a word against Mr.
Kingsley Manners, who is a favorite with all of us; but as a common
member of the club I am entitled, as every other common member is, to
express my opinion upon this subject. Here is a candidate for office,
Mr. Richard Chappel, who pledges himself, if elected, to govern the
club in the same way that it has hitherto been governed; and here is
one of our members jumping up and saying that he promises nothing. To
that I reply that Richard Chappel promises a great deal. He promises
to do everything that is constitutional; he promises to act for the
benefit of the club, as I have acted. If that doesn't satisfy you, I
don't know what will. Mind, I'm not saying one word against Mr.
Manners; I respect and like him, but I shall give my vote to Richard
Chappel."
"Let us hear Mr. Manners," said a member.
Kingsley rose and addressed the meeting. He had for some little while
past regarded this approaching event as of great importance, and had
prepared himself for it. He said he was in favor of public meeting in
all public spaces. He spoke strongly against the monopoly of brewers
and distillers. He advocated universal suffrage, and he characterized
as infamous the neglect of sanitary laws in the dwellings of the
people. The whole aim of government, he said, should be for the
benefit of the many, and not of the few. There were old-time
privileges which, perhaps, could not be suddenly abolished, but to
which, at all events, a limit should be set. He spoke for half an
hour, and the tenor of his observations may be gathered from this
brief description. When he sat down some were pleased, some were
displeased, and some did not know exactly what to think.
"Mr. Manners," said Mr. Bartholomew, "has generalized almost as much
as Richard Chappel."
"No," cried some of Kingsley's supporters; "there is a great
difference between them."
"Let us hear and discuss," said Mr. Bartholomew; "it will open our
minds."
"What does Richard Chappel say about universal suffrage?" asked a
member.
Richard Chappel scratched his head. He had not given the subject that
necessary consideration which enabled him to reply on the instant. Up
jumped Mr. Bartholomew.
"I like that hesitation on Richard Chappel's part," he said.
"Universal suffrage has bothered cleverer heads than any in this
room."
"What do you say about it?" asked a bold member. Mr. Bartholomew
laughed.
"I would give it to every man who has a right to it."
"Every man has a right to it!"
"No, no; there must be qualifications. The Reform Act did a lot for
us, and a lot has been done since, and a lot more will be done in the
future. There _must_ be electoral qualification. Even in our little
club here every man has not a right to become a member. The difference
between some of us is this--we agree upon the main point, but we do
not agree in the way of bringing it about. 'Go slow' is my motto."
"Yes," grumbled one, "and die before we reap."
"Perhaps," said Mr. Bartholomew, gravely. "But does that lessen the
value of our work, which, I take it, lies greatly in its
unselfishness? We look more to the future than to the present. We
think of our children and of the benefits they will enjoy, benefits
brought about by us who may not live to see the fruit."
Much discussion of a similar nature followed, and it seemed likely at
one time that the result would be largely influenced by the private
wrongs of a member who had resolved to take this opportunity of
ventilating them, and had, indeed, been urged to that course by the
more inflammatory spirits. His story was not an uncommon one, and may
be narrated in a very few words. He was a working-man, of course, with
one child, a daughter whom he idolized. This daughter, to his grief
and despair, had left her home; and it was, the father said, a
gentleman who had brought the shame upon them. The man was very
eloquent in his description of the monstrous wrong. He did not know
the name or the whereabouts of the villain who had inflicted it, and
said that if he could find him he would strike him dead at his feet.
Mr. Bartholomew was too wise to prevent the father from speaking,
although he strongly disapproved of the intrusion of this private
matter into the club business; but he saw that it had been
prearranged, and was intended to influence the election in favor of
Kingsley. As a prudent general, therefore, he proposed the adjournment
of the meeting, which broke up in some slight confusion.