March 18th, 1887.
My dear Glasier,—As to lecture: it has yet (alas! ) to be written, and by whatever name it were called would smell as sweet or as sour. I am not very likely, I fear, to overload it with economics; but in case anyone should think himself beguiled by false pretences, suppose we call it 'True and False Society.'
I note April 3 for the date of the Glasgow lecture; and Hamilton, when will that be? Also could we arrange for a Dundee trip and lecture? Edinburgh, of course, will expect another dose; and there was some talk of Aberdeen; but that I think I can scarcely manage, as Lancaster expects me on my way back. Will you talk to the Edinburgh folk and sketch out some plan, and I'll see if it can be done.
As to the proposed new paper, I didn't mean that we should have but one or two always. I only thought that there was not a public large enough at present, and that pushing Comm. was at present the only thing to be done. We ought to increase the circulation by one thousand this year and then it would be safe. There have been so many advanced papers which have been born to die that it would be a most serious advantage if we could make one Socialist paper relatively immortal. I put this before the Edinburgh friends and they quite agree. Of course I am very loth to even appear to throw cold water on a scheme of propaganda; I only want no energy wasted.
We had a fine meeting last night to celebrate the Commune—crowded. Kropotkin spoke in English, and very well.
So you will write and tell me what you think I had better do, and I will consider your plans.
By the way, your paper about the grocer[1] is amusing; but if the portrait is recognisable it is libellous, and the C. cannot bear a libel case for anything short of high treason. How about the libellousness of it?
- ↑ 'Men who are not Socialists,' one of a series of articles which began in Commonweal, May 7, 1887. I assured him that the characters were fictitious and unidentifiable.
