During the high point of the union agitation, Arch was identified with the popular cause and many agricultural labourers would display his portrait in their homes.
In 1898, Arch published a pugnacious and opinionated autobiography, upon which The Spectator commented at the start of its long review that "One cannot help wishing that this book were more of an autobiography, and less of a polemic against Mr. Arch's adversaries, political and social [REF].