LIVELY ELECTIONS

Southland Times, Issue 19757, 3 February 1923, Page 13 (Supplement)

LIVELY ELECTIONS

’ REMINISCENCES OF THE PAST. With the peace and quiet of the recent election* in New Zealand in mind, the following dip into the elections of the past in England is interesting:—“ln my young days elections were more picturesque and spectacular than they are nowadays (writes ‘Sexagenarian’ in the Daily Mail). Strident brass bands heralded the arrival of a candidate at the hustings to the strains of ‘A Fine Old English Gentleman,’ and ‘For He's a Jolly Good Fellow.’ Bands played an important part in the contest, and now and then rival musicians endeavoured to drown each other’s melody with discords on the cornet and trombone. “Everyone wore ‘favours’ in those days, and often horses and dogs were decorated. In our borough the ‘Tories’ wore blue rib.bons and the ‘Rads’ red. There were only two parties—Conservatives and Liberals, but we always spoke of the former as Tory’ and the latter as ‘Radical.’ “A weapon in each party’s armoury was rhe ‘squib,’ or political broadsheet. These caflets were issued in thousands and distributed by partisans who careered thiough the streets in vehicles casting their satires to the winds till the streets were littered with them. Every election inspired tne topical ballad-writers of the period, and some of these effusions were of an extremely personal character. The words were sec to a well-known air, and a week before polling day a number of professional street singers from London would invade the borough and sing their ditties in the High street and the Market Place. The songs were sold for a penny a copy. “On the eve of an election both political parties subsidised ‘interrupters’ at meetings. A ready-witted and stentorian interrupter could command a good fee. Candidates were frequently hustled and sometimes assaulted seriously. For their protection professional pugilists were em ployed. “Meetings often ended in free fights, and the windows of public halls were smashed. I have seen a local town ‘chaiactei’ approach a candidate, and, showing a scalp wound, exclaim triumphantly: ‘See what I’ve done for you in an argument!’ After a conflict of fisticuffs or of sticks between the opposed parties the local newspaper would state that ‘party feeling ran nomewhat high.’ In those days political meetings were seldom orderly. Insolent gibes were hurled at the speakers, yell? and catcalls greeted them when they mounted the platform, and mobs of opponents fol owed them from the halls, booing and hisring. “After the declaration of the poll the successful contestant made a victorious progress through the streets seated m a landau and preceded by a band playing ‘See the Conquering Hero Comes,’ and cheering voters, carrying flaring torches, held revelry till the early morning. The scenes often suggested a survival of the Saturnalia. To-day our enthusiasm is expressed less vociferously, and the majority of electors have more rational grounds for their political faith.”