Arthur Desmond facts for kids

Arthur Desmond (born around 1859 – died January 23, 1929) was a writer, poet, and political activist. He used several other names, like Arthur Uing, Richard Thurland, and Desmond Dilg. He lived in different countries, including New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and England.

Desmond first became known in 1884 in New Zealand. He was a candidate for Parliament and was famous for his strong, new ideas. He also supported Māori leader Te Kooti. In 1894, he moved to Sydney, Australia, and joined the Australian labour movement. There, he worked with important figures like Billy Hughes and Henry Lawson. Later, he moved to the United States.

Many people believe Arthur Desmond also wrote a very famous and controversial book called Might Is Right. This book was published in 1896 in Chicago under the pen name Ragnar Redbeard. It talks about the idea that power and strength are most important, and that there are no natural "human rights."

Who Was Arthur Desmond?

A Mysterious Beginning

Arthur Desmond liked to keep his life a secret. It's hard to find clear facts about where and when he was born. His biographers, people who write about his life, found it very difficult to learn about his past.

Some records say he was born in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, around 1842 or 1859. They say his family was from Ireland. Other records from when he moved to the United States say he was born in England in 1859. His son even said Desmond's family was from Northumberland, England. It seems he sometimes changed his birthplace in official records, even claiming California once!

Early Steps in Politics

The first clear information about Arthur Desmond is from 1884. He ran for Parliament in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. He was known as a "cattle-drover" with "radical tendencies." This meant he had very strong, new ideas about how society should work.

In his speeches, Desmond told people that they were letting rich landowners control them. He said these landowners took the best land for themselves and only gave small "crumbs" to others. He encouraged people to stand up for themselves and demand their fair share. He said, "Wealth that we make for you, money we earn; give us our share of them, give us a turn."

Desmond didn't win that election, getting only 190 votes. But he didn't give up on politics. He became a supporter of Sir George Grey, a famous leader who defended the Māori. Desmond also started to support the Māori cause, which was a brave and unusual thing to do at the time.

Fighting for Change

In 1887, Desmond ran for Parliament again. This time, he focused on attacking landlords, bankers, and big companies. He wanted to change how land was owned and suggested that large estates and banks should be controlled by the government. He also supported a "single tax" idea, where only land rent would be taxed, because he believed land was the true source of wealth.

Desmond was very direct. He called bank directors "scoundrels" and landowners "blood-sucking leeches." He even called the local newspapers "hirelings of monopoly," meaning they were paid by big businesses. His ideas were very similar to socialist beliefs, which focus on fairness and shared wealth.

He also supported the government's right to buy land from the Māori, as agreed in the Treaty of Waitangi. This made many European New Zealanders angry, but he still got a respectable 562 votes.

After losing the election, Desmond worked hard jobs in timber mills and on farms. He later wrote about these tough times, saying he decided that if he ever had a chance to change such a "brutal system," he would take it.

Defending Māori Rights

Standing Up for Te Kooti

In 1889, a respected Māori leader named Te Kooti planned to visit Gisborne, his birthplace. This caused a huge stir among the European settlers. They worried Te Kooti's visit was meant to stop the sale of Māori land. This put Arthur Desmond in a difficult spot, as he supported the government's right to buy Māori land.

Desmond bravely spoke at a meeting of about 500 angry settlers in Makaraka. People were talking about fighting and violence. Desmond tried to explain that he knew Te Kooti's supporters and that the Māori meant no harm. His arguments didn't work. Some settlers grabbed him and threw him out of the schoolhouse!

A few days later, at another large meeting, Desmond again spoke up for Te Kooti. He mentioned he had been in contact with Māori leaders and strongly stated that the settlers had no legal right to stop Te Kooti's visit. Fights broke out, and police had to escort Desmond away for his own safety. Newspapers called him the "pakeha [white] emissary from the Hau Haus" and said he was lucky to escape alive.

The situation calmed down when Te Kooti and his followers were arrested. Desmond later wrote a poem for Te Kooti, called "Song of Te Kooti."

The Book Might Is Right

Writing a Controversial Book

It's believed that Arthur Desmond started writing Might Is Right after his 1887 election loss. The book was published in 1896 under the name "Ragnar Redbeard." Its full title was The Survival of the Fittest, or the Philosophy of Power.

The book's opening lines, "Death to the weakling, wealth to the strong," show its main idea. Desmond believed that weakness leads to failure, and strength leads to success. He argued that helping the weak was unnatural and harmful. He thought that competition, strength, and power were the most important natural values.

Desmond was a supporter of Social Darwinism, an idea that suggests only the strongest survive in society. He believed that organized religion was bad for personal growth. He also argued that there are no "human rights" that everyone is born with. Instead, he saw rights as something strong people earn or win, not something that is freely given.

Early Versions and Accusations

In 1890, Desmond wrote an essay called "Christ as a Social Reformer." It was published in a magazine and seemed to call for Christians to join a socialist revolution. He later published it as a booklet.

However, Desmond was accused of copying parts of this essay from an American magazine. He was also accused of copying a poem called "The King that is to Come" from an American poet. These accusations caused some trouble for him.

Moving to Australia and the United States

Activism in Australia

In 1892, Arthur Desmond moved to Sydney, Australia. There, he worked with William Morris Hughes, who later became the Prime Minister of Australia. They created a political newspaper called The New Order. Desmond also became friends with other important writers and politicians, like Henry Lawson and Jack Lang.

Desmond started another strong and challenging newspaper called Hard Cash in 1893. It was printed secretly and encouraged a group called the "Active Service Brigade" to disrupt political meetings of Desmond's opponents. This caused so much trouble that Desmond had to leave Australia quickly to avoid being arrested.

Life in America

After leaving Australia, Desmond traveled to England and then to New York. He eventually settled in Chicago, Illinois, around 1895 or 1896. He worked as a reporter. When The Survival of the Fittest (his book Might Is Right) was published in 1896, he used the name "Arthur Uing."

Desmond later claimed he had a law degree from the University of Chicago, but records show he never actually received one. In 1898, he went to London and published a British edition of his book. He also joined others in promoting the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, another thinker who focused on strength and power.

Desmond also claimed to have fought in the Second Boer War in South Africa, saying he was part of a light horse unit. He even said a rifle he used to hold off police officers in Chicago was one he captured in a famous battle during that war.

By 1902, Desmond was living in Chicago under the name "Richard Thurland." He published another edition of Might Is Right. He also worked with a man named Will H. Dilg. They even wrote a book together called Rival Caesars under the name "Desmond Dilg." This book also shared the "might is right" philosophy.

In 1904, Desmond had a run-in with the police. He refused to let a telephone inspector into his office. When police arrived, he held them off with a rifle. He was arrested, but his strong speaking skills convinced a judge and jury that he was the victim, and he was set free.

Later Life and Legacy

Family and Final Years

On September 1, 1904, Arthur Desmond, then 45, married Fredericke Woldt, who was 22. Even though Desmond was an atheist (someone who doesn't believe in God), they had a church wedding, possibly because Fredericke's family was very religious.

They had a son, Arthur Konar Walther Desmond. In 1910, Desmond was living alone with his young son and told census takers he was a widower, even though his wife was still alive but living with her family. Fredericke died in 1913 at age 31 from a lung illness.

Desmond opened a book-selling business called Thurland & Thurland Booksellers. He also published a journal called The Lion's Paw, which was against government and religion and promoted his "might is right" ideas. Later, he opened another used bookstore called the "House O' Gowrie."

In the 1920s, Desmond worked with Jack Jones, who owned a famous club in Chicago called the Dil Pickle Club. They used the original printing plates to make more copies of Might Is Right, selling them from Desmond's bookstore and Jones's club.

Arthur Desmond passed away on January 23, 1929, in Chicago, after suffering a stroke. His death certificate listed him as "Arthur Desmond, alias Richard Thurland."