the purpose of
systematically counteracting it. I put myself in connection with those
who were taking, or willing to take, some leading part in this
enterprise. The final result was the establishment of two bodies--the
Anti-Socialist Union, under the presidency of Col. Claude Lowther, and a
School of Anti-Socialist Economics, which, through the agency of Captain
(now Sir Herbert) Jessel, was affiliated to the London Municipal
Society--a body which, owing to him, was already proving itself
influential. All the persons concerned had precisely the same objects,
but there were certain disagreements as to the methods which at starting
were most imperative. So far as principles were concerned, the
Anti-Socialist Union were so completely in agreement with myself that
they bought a large edition of my _Critical Analysis of Socialism_ for
distribution as a textbook among the speakers and writers whom it was
part of their program to employ. There were, however, certain details of
procedure in respect of which Captain Jessel's opinions were more in
accordance with my own. He and I, therefore, settled on working
together, taking the existing machinery of the London Municipal Society
as our basis, while the Anti-Socialist Union proceeded on parallel,
though on somewhat different, lines. Captain Jessel and I established,
by way of a beginning, a school for speakers--mostly active young
men--who would speak Sunday by Sunday in the parks and other public
places, and attract audiences whose attention had been previously
secured by Socialists. These speakers sent in weekly reports, describing
the results of their work, which were for the most part of a singularly
encouraging kind. But the number of these speakers was small, and, since
all their expenses were paid, the funds at our immediate disposal would
not enable us to increase it. It appeared to me, therefore, that our
work would be best extended by a distribution of literature--leaflets or
small pamphlets--simple in style, but coherent in their general import,
and appealing not to the man in the street only, but to educated men,
even Members of Parliament, also. A start in this direction was made by
the publication of skeleton speeches, many of them written by myself,
which any orator in the parks or in Parliament might fill in as he
pleased, and which was supplemented by weekly pamphlets called "Facts
Against Socialism." I found, however, that in preparing these my
attention was mor