Saturday, November 14, 2009

J. W. Logan in Punch

A bit of Googling reveals that my hero J. W. "Paddy" Logan, former Liberal MP for Harborough, was mentioned in a poem in Punch in 1891.

The poem is prefaced by a quotation from Logan, who had just gained the seat from the Tories in a by-election:
"Believing firmly in the absolute justice of woman's claim to the 'Parliamentary' franchise, I shall at all times support that claim."
The poem is long and facetious to modern tastes, but its ending is worth recording here:
And now there comes another name
To raise for Shes the party slogan.
Well, trust, dears--if you like--to LOGAN;
He "will support you _at all times_!"
Keep your eye on him! SHAKSPEARE's rhymes
Tell you "Men were deceivers ever."
M.P.'s wise, foolish, crass, and clever,
Are--nominally--on your side,
And--privately--your cause deride.
Take the straight tip, my dears--I glean it
From private talk--_they don't half mean it!
Logan had two spells as Liberal MP for Harborough. One of the people who held the seat for the party in between them was Rudolph Lehmann. Lehmann was a regular contributor of poetry to Punch, but I have no reason to suspect that he was responsible for this.

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