appreciation and satire of a number of
"radicals":

"An old friend of Nicoll's used to talk to me by the hour about him. He,
the friend, an ordinary, rather stupid fellow, once helped poor Nicoll,
got a room for him and gave him money, after he was released from
prison. He felt proud to think that a man like Nicoll would accept
hospitality 'from a poor bloke like me,' as he put it. His friendship
with Nicoll has been the great event of his life. Whenever anything
occurs in the radical movement which recalls ever so slightly the affair
of which Nicoll was the scapegoat, his old friend will say, in his funny
Jewish Cockney, 'That's always the wey, like Nicoll's kise, for
example.' Then he launches forth into eloquent streams of denunciation,
for he does not regard Nicoll as at all insane, but on the contrary,
'the finest man ever downed' by aristocrats like Turner and Kropotkin.

"This affair has made our friend pessimistic about anarchism, at times,
and inclined to join the socialist party. His life is made miserable by
the ceaseless debate of his mind and soul over which of these two
philosophies is the best one for the race. He, suspiciously, is always
looking for another case like Nicoll's, and is doubtful about all
movements, not only anarchism and socialism, but all which preach
liberty, justice, and the like, such as Theosophy, Single Tax, Sun
Worshippers, Spirit Fruiters, Holy Rollers, Upton Sinclair's Helicot
Colony, and Parker Sercombe's Spencer-Whitman Centre. All these he has
tested and found more or less wanting. Life grows daily more melancholy
for him, as he continues, on account of 'Nicoll's Kise,' to probe
beneath the surface of all the cults and movements which profess
boundless love for humanity, truth, justice and freedom.

"P. R., whom you have also met in London, has got himself into trouble
by making inflammatory speeches in Germany. When they talked of
arresting him, he immediately claimed American citizenship. But if he
ever turned up in America again they would clap him in jail so quick it
would make his head swim. He, together with McQueen, was arrested here
some years ago for helping start the New Jersey riots, but he skipped
his bonds, to the great disgust of the bondsmen, who were comrades in
the movement. The movement in the whole United States, Canada, Europe,
and Asia was divided into factions over this affair, and very nearly
went to pieces. But it was ridiculous to arrest him in the fi