WCP3056

Letter (WCP3056.3024)

[1]1

Garfield

Workington

Cumberland

Mar. 10 /[18]982

Dear Sir,

I saw it stated some weeks ago in the Review of reviews3 that you were on the point of publishing a pamphlet on the Vaccination question. And as I was much interested, and informed too, by a previous pamphlet of yours — now many years ago — on the same subject. I made a note to ask you some day when publication is likely to occur: & this accordingly I now take the liberty of doing.

I have long been most bitterly opposed to this compulsory Vacc[innatio]n. Law4; Ever since reading — (and I believe [2] even previous to that) the late venerable F.W. Newman’s5 pamphlet on the subject. It seems horrible that in A.D. 1898, — & in England too — a man or woman sh[oul]d. actually be sent to gaol for insisting on keeping his hitherto healthy child in good, pure, cleanly condition as long as possible! I often wish I were as rich as I am poor: — and I w[oul]d. (on the quiet) pay all fines in such cases: & " agitate, agitate, agitate" at the same time for the repeal of the act of Parl[iamen]t.

I am, D[ea]r. Sir, | Yours very respectfully | D. Harkness [signature]

1
"Answ[ere]d." hand-written in ink in top LH corner and British Museum stamp at bottom of page.
2
Date deduced from that of the Vaccination Act, discussed.
3
A family of monthly journals founded in 1890-1893 by British reform journalist William Thomas Stead (1849-1912).
4
1898 Act modified previous Acts of 1840-1867. It removed cumulative penalties and introduced a conscience clause, allowing parents to obtain a certificate of exemption. ARW was a major participant in the anti-vaccination campaigns of late 19th-century England.
5
Newman, Prof. Francis William (1805-1897). Scholar and writer.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP3056.3024)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by O'Dell, Sandra [2015-02-27] Transcription checked by Benny, Ruth [2015-02-27] Transcription checked by Sherwood, Danni [2020-08-10]

Please cite as “WCP3056,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3056