Hereditary Privilege

Source

The shorthand notebooks of Charles Dickens and Arthur P. Stone [ref: cdc5890009_07 and cdc5890009_09], Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia.

Seven lines of Brachygraphy shorthand characters written in pencil fill the top half of a notebook page. A horizontal line, running from left to right, follows, underneath which are nine lines of Brachygraphy shorthand characters. The figure 10000£ is written as a figure amongst the other characters. The shorthand on the top half of the page is the third part of 'Sydney Smith' version B. The shorthand on the bottom half of the page is part of an untitled exercise about hereditary privilege. In the top right the number five indicates the page number.

'Hereditary Privilege' Part 1. Courtesy of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Fourteen lines of Brachygraphy shorthand characters written in pencil fill three quarters of a notebook page.

'Hereditary Privilege' Part 2. Courtesy of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Description

A critique of hereditary privilege, written in shorthand.

Transcription

All privileges, but particularly hereditary privileges, have been established for the benefit of some individual and it may be safely taken for granted as a proposition, not without good grounds, that whenever an individual is so advantaged, the world in general suffers. The object of all such institutions is to confer something on somebody at the public cost and whether that something be an estate or an easement or a pittance writ or 10,000 pounds or above that high mark or below it or between all these extremes or within any of them the statement is altogether objectionable. Whosoever may be plaintiff in a case or whosoever defendant in any particular instance or example, the principle is still the same and a nation professing liberty and making a boast of transmitting it to the next generation and to heaven knows how many generations afterwards to the end of time depends/is dependent for its good name on mere words if it thus conducts itself. It must be remembered that there is a wide and broad distinction between nations claiming to be free and nations avowedly slavish and devoid of liberty. In the latter case the public charged with such errors is an object of pity. In the former case one’s equanimity is disturbed by the resentment with which the mind naturally receives all false pretenses and contempt is largely blinded/blended with animus/animosity and indignation/intention.

Source text

To date, no direct source text has been identified for this shorthand dictation exercise.

Transcription credits

With thanks to: Amy D, Clarissa Parkinson, Elizabeth Agnew, Frances T, Ken Cox, and Shane Baggs.

Rights

Courtesy of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Please seek further permission from the Free Library to reuse the image.

Hereditary Privilege