Liberty and Property Defence League
Encyclopedia
The Liberty and Property Defence League (LPDL) was a historic organization, founded in 1882 by Lord Elcho
, for the support of laissez-faire
trade
. It served as a lobby group for industrialists and land-owners who were alarmed by trade unionism, socialism
, and elements in the Gladstone administration, but attracted also many liberals and philosophical individualists.
The League continued to exist until the 1920s, but its president, Wemyss (Lord Elcho), resigned as president in 1913. This was after the individualism of Spencer
declined, which was the main raison d'être of the League. The ideas of the organisation were carried on by the Society of Individualists
of Sir Ernest Benn
.
A weekly pamphlette put out by the League was called Jus: A Weekly Organ of Individualism, which was edited by individualist anarchist Wordsworth Donisthorpe
.
Francis Charteris, 10th Earl of Wemyss
Francis Richard Charteris, 10th Earl of Wemyss GCVO , styled as Lord Elcho between 1853 and 1883, was a British Whig politician...
, for the support of laissez-faire
Laissez-faire
In economics, laissez-faire describes an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from state intervention, including restrictive regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies....
trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
. It served as a lobby group for industrialists and land-owners who were alarmed by trade unionism, socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
, and elements in the Gladstone administration, but attracted also many liberals and philosophical individualists.
The League continued to exist until the 1920s, but its president, Wemyss (Lord Elcho), resigned as president in 1913. This was after the individualism of Spencer
Herbert Spencer
Herbert Spencer was an English philosopher, biologist, sociologist, and prominent classical liberal political theorist of the Victorian era....
declined, which was the main raison d'être of the League. The ideas of the organisation were carried on by the Society of Individualists
Society for Individual Freedom
The Society for Individual Freedom is a United Kingdom-based association of libertarians, classical liberals, free-market conservatives and others promoting individual freedom....
of Sir Ernest Benn
Ernest Benn
Sir Ernest John Pickstone Benn, 2nd Baronet was a British publisher, writer and political publicist. His father, John Benn, was a politician, who had been made a baronet in 1914. He was an uncle of the Labour politician Tony Benn.-Biography:Benn was born in Oxted, Surrey...
.
A weekly pamphlette put out by the League was called Jus: A Weekly Organ of Individualism, which was edited by individualist anarchist Wordsworth Donisthorpe
Wordsworth Donisthorpe
Wordsworth Donisthorpe was an English individualist anarchist and inventor, pioneer of cinematography and chess enthusiast. His father was George E...
.
External links
- Prophets of Property, Lawrence W. Reed. The FreemanThe FreemanThe Freeman: Ideas on Liberty is one of the oldest and most respected libertarian journals in the United States. It is published by the Foundation for Economic Education . It started as a digest sized monthly study journal; it currently appears 10 times per year and is a larger-sized magazine. FEE...
.