d, Hughes, Podmore, Stapleton, and Webb, and was the first
of our publications that contained any solid information. Its tone,
however, was moderate and its style somewhat conventional; and the
Society was still in so hot a temper on the social question that we
refused to adopt it as a regular Fabian tract, and only issued it as
a report printed for the information of members. Nevertheless we were
coming to our senses rapidly by this time. We signalized our
repudiation of political sectarianism in June, 1886, by inviting the
Radicals, the Secularists, and anyone else who would come, to a great
conference, modelled upon the Industrial Remuneration Conference, and
dealing with the Nationalization of Land and Capital. It fully
established the fact that we had nothing immediately practical to
impart to the Radicals and that they had nothing to impart to us.
The proceedings were fully reported for us; but we never had the
courage even to read the shorthand writer's report, which still
remains in MS. Before I refreshed my memory on the subject the other
day, I had a vague notion that the Conference cost a great deal of
money; that it did no good whatever; that Mr. Bradlaugh made a
speech; that Mrs. Fenwick Miller, who had nothing on earth to do with
us, was in the chair during part of the proceedings; and that the
most successful paper was by a strange gentleman whom we had taken on
trust as a Socialist, but who turned out to be an enthusiast on the
subject of building more harbours. I find, however, on looking up the
facts, that no less than fifty-three societies sent delegates; that
the guarantee fund for expenses was L100; and that the discussions
were kept going for three afternoons and three evenings. The
Federation boycotted us; but the 'Times' reported us.[13] Eighteen
papers were read, two of them by members of Parliament, and most of
the rest by well-known people. William Morris and Dr. Aveling read
papers as delegates from the Socialist League; the National Secular
Society sent Mr. Foote and Mr. [John M.] Robertson,[14] the latter
contributing a 'Scheme of Taxation' in which he anticipated much of
what was subsequently adopted as the Fabian program; Wordsworth
Donisthorpe took the field for Anarchism of the type advocated by the
authors of 'A Plea for Liberty'; Stewart Headlam spoke for Christian
Socialism and the