Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/217

 looked upon as that of a visionary and a dreamer. The Hon. Member who seconded the resolution was so carried away by his enthusiasm that he bashed down the tall hat over the eyes of the Member sitting below him—an unfortunate occurrence that never fails to evoke merriment from both sides of the House. Such was the inauspicious opening of the campaign. His resolution indeed was defeated, but not so H. H. He began a crusade that was to last the remainder of his life. He travelled all over the world preaching Penny Postage, in season and out of season, and leaving no stone unturned that might directly or indirectly further his object.

In this brief summary, I despair of giving any adequate description of the persistent warfare waged against red-tape and officialdom. Only those in H. H.'s immediate circle could know the bitter hostility and ridicule he met with in quarters from which he might reasonably have expected support. Worse still, he had to overcome the absolute apathy that pervaded the public mind on all questions of the post office. Well might he exclaim with Macaulay, "There is more interest taken over the murder of a single police-man in Whitechapel than in a war with China." It was a red-letter day in H. H.'s career when the "Times" came to his support and lent its powerful influence to the cause. Strong leaders were written advocating Imperial Penny Postage, and their loyal and generous support throughout the years did much to shorten the battle and to snatch a victory in the teeth of opposition.

Fortunately, H. H. had to an unusual extent the gift of journalism, a gift which enabled him to present his case in a manner that was interesting to the outside