history is repeating itself. The English smugglers of a century or so ago were, in their defiance of laws, their reasons for smuggling, and the manner in which they conducted the trade, strikingly like the rum runners of today. Like the latter they preyed upon one another and incited lawlessness ashore. Several times, when their smuggled goods had been seized and stored in government buildings, they boldly broke into the warehouses and recovered the contraband, which is exactly what has occurred on at least one occasion in our own country within the past few months, when liquor smugglers have helped themselves to their confiscated goods. And finally, just as the smugglers of our coasts, in their desire for speedy craft, incited the shipbuilders to design and construct the speediest clippers-and thereby developed our famous ships, so, today, the needs of the rum runners have resulted in several firms of boat builders devoting time and energy to designing and constructing the fastest of motor-boats-exclusively for smuggler's

uses.

And the smugglers of the English coast a century ago looked upon their trade in much the same manner as do the present day rum-runners. A law, so they argued, that was unpopular, was made only to be broken, and no crime was committed in the breaking of it. Moreover, were they not doing a really great service to their fellow men? With

the duties paid, tea, tobacco, spirits, a score of luxuries and necessities, would be quite beyond the means of the ordinary man, and the smugglers, by bringing in contraband and risking their freedom and their lives, considered that they were performing a most worthy and commendable deed, quite aside from their personal gains in the matter. Just as Robin Hood must have, and unquestionably did, possess many of the admirable traits which inspired the largely fictional traditions of his career, and as the knights of the road of Merry England must have been quite gallant gentlemen in their way, even if their stories be stripped of the glamor of romance-so we may feel quite sure that, even without the fiction with which time and story have surrounded them, the smugglers of the channel coasts, or at least some of them, must have been actuated by most lofty sentiments and motives, and obsessed with the idea that the ends justified the means, and that it was no crime to rob the rich to aid the poor. It may seem strange to many, that a smuggler, a petty, rather despicable sort of scallawag when all's said and done, could be inspired by lofty ideals or could find an excuse for his dishonest trade. But it must be remembered that the most picturesque characters and heroes of romance and history, and some most atrocious rascals as well, have done likewise. The Spanish conquererseven Columbus himself-massacred, slaughtered

and robbed under the firm conviction that they were thereby spreading the Christian faith, and benefitting mankind and the world. Sir Francis Drake was nothing less than a relentless old pirate, if we get down to brass tacks, and thought it no crime to rob and kill the Dons for the glory of England and the Virgin Queen. Montbars, nicknamed "The Exterminator," who was an outrageously bloody pirate, started on his career of butchery and rapine with the quite laudable purpose of freeing the Spaniards' slaves and mitigating the deplorable plight of the oppressed Indians of New Spain. De Lussan turned buccaneer as much to lead his fellow corsairs on the road to salvation as to refill his de

pleted purse. He invariably attributed every

triumph and misfortune to the direct intervention of Providence, and never omitted to pray fervently for success before starting on a foray, or to give thanks to God for leading himself and his men to victory. The black-hearted, devil-dyed pirate chiefs of Port Royal, Jamaica, built a church from the loot of Spanish cities and worshipped therein each Sabbath. Our own Puritanical ancestors committed most despicable and inhuman acts against the very savages who had enabled them to survive, as well as against the peaceful and humane Quakers, and imagined themselves fully justified. Our own gun-runners were quite willing to supply the means for bloodshed, battle and carnage to our

southern neighbors, and felt sure they were doing great deeds for the cause of liberty, and innumerable cutthroats and highwaymen, from the days of Robin Hood down, have robbed with one hand and distributed charity with the other. Indeed, I do not doubt that the majority of rum runners, if questioned, would declare that they were fully justified in supplying liquor to a thirsty clientele unjustly deprived of liquid refreshments, or that those most / despicable of scoundrels, the drug-smugglers, would aver that, were it not for them, the pitiful drug addicts would suffer untold agonies. And so, just because the denizens of the channel coasts took the law into their own hands and saw fit to turn smugglers, we must not assume that they were, at heart, criminals or were inherently dishonest or lacking in patriotism and other most admirable traits. In fact, there is abundant historical and documentary evidence to prove that many of the most notorious of the British smugglers were,in all other respects-intensely patriotic and absolutely honest.

For example, there was Harry Paulet, a famed smuggler, who was made a prisoner of war by the French, and not only contrived to escape from the ship on which he was confined, but managed to steal the enemy's despatches and papers as well. Then, despite the fact that he was badly "wanted" by the British authorities for smuggling, he ran the

risk of capture and imprisonment and delivered the valuable documents to the English in person. Later, this same smuggler, while running a cargo of contraband, sighted the French battle fleet heading up the channel. Instantly tacking, he put back at top speed for England, and regardless of his own fate, carried the news to Lord Hawke, who could scarcely credit it and swore that if the smuggler had told the truth he should be pardoned and rewarded while if he had lied he'd hang him.

And there was that far more famous and adventurous character, Thomas Johnson, sometimes known as "The Famous Hampshire Smuggler," who was by profession a pilot but by occupation a notorious smuggler. Having been taken prisoner in 1798, Johnson had been confined, awaiting trial, in New Prison in Borough, but prison bars never bothered the pilot-smuggler much, and he was soon free. So badly was he desired by the government that a reward of five hundred pounds was offered for his capture. Johnson, hearing of this, made a counter offer, suggesting that he be pardoned for his past offences if he piloted the British fleet to Holland. This suggestion was accepted; Johnson received his pardon, and proved himself as good a pilot as he had been smuggler. For some time he was in comparative affluence, but he spent his money recklessly, and the next heard of him was in 1802, when he was in the debtors' prison unable