IN THE CRADLE DAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 261, 4 November 1925, Page 7

IN THE CRADLE DAYS.

POLITICS OF THE FIFTIES. HUMOURS OF CAMPAIGNING, (By MAY RICHMOND.): It is a far cry from the politics of the fifties to the present election campaign of 1925, but turning over soma old books, I came across an echo of those far away days. A small volume containing some manuscripts copied from the "New Zealander," of August. 1852, arrested attention. The yellowed pages set forth some quite humorous letters in a rich brogue, purporting to come from one, Bridget Mulcahy, and her husband upon the elections of those times. The views of the vox populi of infant Auckland, and of wives in particular, may prove enlightening. In 1552 elections were elections, and the motto was vote early and often, and it is on record by reputable and venerable citizens still spared us, that even bullock teams were gifted with human intelligence, and voted, or rather their owners polled them for whichever side they favoured. One gathers from the letters that there must have been a military pensioners , settlement located near or at Onehunga, also that in those rollicking fifties one fears the voters were not in favour of prohibition. To the Eddither iv the "Nu Zealandher." Sur, —The divil take yer Parlimint an' yer elexhins! It's ma heart's broke wid thim, an that spalpeen iv a man iv mine, instid iv airnin a bit iv bred fur us, is blatherskitin , about the cunthry what he calls a eanvassin' fer 'is honer Mr. Diggernum, an' its home he comes at nite schreechin' dhrunk wid liberty an' equal rites, an' he bates miself and the childher till we're black and blew. Afther he went to bed last nite, an' was snorin' on his back like a baste, I tuk howld iv 'is small-clothes, savin' yer prisence—to thry if there was any iv his pinshin left he resaved last week, but the sorra a ha'portb. was in his pocket, but the end iv a fig iv baccy, two votin' papers signed wid 'is name, the villain, fer Mr. Diggernum and Mr. Masin, and the letther I sind enclosed. I hope, sur, yell put it in the raphers, an' not give all to the mm, Ut remember the poor wives an' childher hat's dhry and hungry at home.— Yours .j command, BRIDGET MULCAHY. Hooneunger, Awgus 11. To Mr. Aldherman William Masin, Tammeki, Esquier. Honur'd Sur, —Afore I voat for yer eleckshin till the ne\r' Parliment, I igspect yer ansers till a -few perlitticle catergoris, as. the "Sutherin Crass" calls 'em, an' I hope no offince. It's myself nivir seen the froth iv yer pot, nor the beard iv yer waggin, so how can I tell what's yer principples—not all as one as Mr. Dignurn, long life to him! It's himself keeps the good drhop of likker, an , the dacent., house, bad luck to the betther in the parish anyhow! an' a mighty plesint gintlemin he is, an' no ways proud, for all he's an Aldherman—wid a beautiful-brogue, and learning enuff fer a priest, 'an well he knows what's good fer a poor pinshiner, an' he sez he'll stick up fur our rites, an' he'll git us all we want—as he is a publican, why not ?—didn't we sind a publican into the corparashin, an' maybe he didn't bother the thievin' Governmunt, an' isn't it nathral like to have a publican to reprisint the pinshiners—and maybe the '"Sutherin , Crass" isn't stickkin' to him like wax. "Clawsome, claw thee," as Sawney sez, an' it's Pat that esthrained his principple an' intherest fur the "Crass," amongst the boys in the town, more power to 'em! but I'm forgittin' the cathergorys:— (1) What's yer idayd iv the electiv franchis, an' isn't Garryowen a complather chune than Rule Bratanier? (2) Will yer bring out a bill to let the pinshiners elect their own officers, an' secure the libberty ay the corpse? (3) Every indivigle, bein' more or less useful, has an undescribible rite to be lord mare, or mimber iv council how wad' yer dale wid the wimmin in this case, the colleens, my blessin's on thim, isn't widout their use nou an' thin? (4) Is it yer oppinion that the md iv all perlitticle associashuns, is the permoshun iv private—l mane public intherests ? (5) Doan't ye think that the peeple, bein', ay course, the soorse iv all power, niver fails to elict the bist iv men a* aldhermin, councillors an leggislathers—« an' as all law is only the igprisshun iT the poplar will, ivery man, if convaynient, might act as judge, sheriff, regiathrar, barristher, sullicither, crier, bailiff (bad luck to thim) an' gaoler, widout any other quallificashun than vartue ? (6) Will you give us chape land and borry a thrifle in money, say £100,000, for the corporashun, long life to it? (7) Three years bein' a long time to thrust a man, will ye voat for a new elee.skhin every quarther? (8) Its a cryin' shame that in New Ulsth'er, not all as one in Ould Ulsther, there's not a decent dhrop of whisky to be had for luv or money Will ye bring out a bill to permit illicit distillashun— and make ivery glass hould half a pint! Ay yer ansers to thim quarys is satisfacthory. I'll give ye my voat an* intherest. Ay there not, then—Pat ye are my darllnt. "Into Parllmfnt you'll ffo, Pays thp shan van voch. Chir fops ynu ivill amaze. An' Ould Ireland b* at alze. An' nil Europe you will plaze, Says rhe shnn van vogh." (Signed) FEAJRGUS MULCAHY, X Corporal, Royal Horse Moreens. Hooneuno-a, August 10, 1852. So end? an interesting peep at the past. Mayhap thpre are still a few vpneraMe citizens .-pared to us who remember the infant city in the stirring 'fifties. Once again we are called, upon to decide momentous issues in the present election campaign, and are 1 bound. to "thrust" a man for three years- co like Pat, it behoves us to weigh carefully the "perlitticle categories" and "voat" sanely soberly and carefully,. beinc assured the candidate of our 'choice is worthy of our trust and confidence reposed therein.