CHANGING FORTUNES

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 74, 25 September 1934, Page 8

CHANGING FORTUNES

An incident of the Commonwealth Election which was briefly reported by the Sydney "Sun" illustrates how the fortunes of politicians may decline. At the height of the election a rumour went round that Mr. W. M. Hughes had died suddenly. It was not true, but when Mr. Hughes was informed of it he replied: "It may be true, but I personally have heard nothing of it." The,ready retort recalls a saying attributed to Lord Chesterfield: "Lord Tyrawley and I have been dead these two years; but we don't choose to have it known." The only fact that makes this inapplicable to Mr. Hughes is that in North Sydney the old statesman secured 31,000 votes while the can-, didate of the young Douglas Credit movement scored only 5000. Notwithstanding this 31,000 votes, however, it must seem strange to those who have followed Australian politics for thirty years to see how this fiery, fighting politician has faded from the picture. Once an Australian election campaign .would have been all Hughes. Now we liave one fought with only two brief references, one a rumour of his death and the other the report of his survival..