THE VACILLATING BEGGARS.

Evening Star, Issue 11168, 17 February 1900, Page 7

THE VACILLATING BEGGARS.

(With apologies to Mr Eudyard Kipling.) When you've shouted party politics and bellowed “ Vote, for me." When you’ve done with old age pensions and red tape. Will you kindly give attention to my very urgent pica For more gentlemen in khaki at the Capo? You are vacillating beggars, and your twaddle makes mo cuss, But the public's got to take you as it finds you, We won't effect a. change just now becos wo might do wu.-s When wo think of all the Rads you left behind you. Hicks-Beach, Sorlsbury, Joo of a hundred ways (Thousands of promises unfulfilled, think of the shade of Ben), • Each of you letting your chances slip, and I am the bloke wot pays; Play the game, and for goodness’ sake be men —men—men. There are contracts made in secret, there are bogus treaties, too. You don’t know why you made ’em, but you did; There’s bin gas and bluff and bluster, there are old mistakes and new, But it’s time you stowed this policy of " kid." Colonial troops you scoffed at, but you wish you hadn’t now. And poor vacillating beggars people find you. But it ain't the time for argiment. and “Why?” and “When?” and “How?” If you act you’ll have the country still behind you. Duke’s job, earl’s job, commoner, marquis, lord. Treasury, War Office, Downing street, don’t make mo say it again! • Up and bo doing your country’s work, and hastily put on board • Guns and horses and cartridges, and men—men—men. —John Downright, in ‘ The London Letter.’