ection ately ▁or ▁sat ir ically , ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁speaker ). ▁See , ▁for ▁instance , ▁The ▁Times , ▁ 6 ▁August ▁ 1 8 9 5 : ▁"' Ch am ber lain ▁and ▁his ▁crew ' ▁domin ated ▁the ▁city ▁... ▁Mr ▁Ge ard ▁thought ▁it ▁was ▁advis able ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁candidate ▁against ▁' B rum mag em ▁Joe ' ". ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁many ▁contradict ory ▁comments ▁and ▁accounts ▁to ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁B irmingham ▁or ▁Br um mag em ▁was ▁associated ▁with ▁poor - quality ▁manufact ure ▁around ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁Robert ▁S out he y ▁once ▁wrote ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 7 : ▁" Pro bably ▁in ▁no ▁other ▁age ▁or ▁country ▁was ▁there ▁ever ▁such ▁an ▁aston ishing ▁display ▁of ▁human ▁ing enu ity ▁as ▁may ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁B irmingham ." ▁ ▁Modern ▁usage ▁" B rum mag em " ▁remained ▁a ▁st ap le ▁of ▁British ▁political ▁and ▁critical ▁disc ourse ▁into ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century : ▁The ▁Times , ▁ 1 3 ▁August ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁quoted ▁a ▁House ▁of ▁Commons ▁speech ▁by ▁a ▁Mr ▁Mac Ne ill , ▁" The ▁initi ative ▁of ▁the ▁Bill   ... ▁had ▁the ▁' B rum mag em ' ▁brand ▁from ▁top ▁to ▁bottom . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁mean ▁attempt , ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁abs urd ▁and ▁vul gar ▁spirit ▁of ▁Imperial ism , ▁to ▁subs id ize ▁the ▁Crown ▁with ▁a ▁par ven u ▁title