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Campaign
Meetings “The Fight Goes Bravely On” (from the Mr. Goldie held a meeting at School Section 11, near Puslinch Lake, Saturday evening. The room was crowded and many could not get in. James Anderson was chairman. Mr. Goldie opened the meeting with a half hour’s speech in which he defined his position. Richard Fyfe, of Guelph, made a Chartist speech, which was extremely amusing, and in which he frequently professed his ability to “buck” wood. Mr. Doyle, of Puslinch, showed up the inconsistency between Guthrie’s promises at last election and his actions since that time. P. Mahon, of Puslinch, wanted to have the privilege, for Mr. Guthrie’s friends, of a reply to each of the Goldie speakers. Somebody asked when Guthrie had afforded this sort of chance to his opponents, and Registrar Massie had the hardihood to say to all those people, many of whom had attended Guthrie’s meetings, that he, Guthrie, had always allowed this. Mr. Mahon spoke briefly. Registrar Massie then secured the registrarship by a speech reeking with false statements and extraordinary, even for him, in its reckless absurdity. Thomas Cowan of Galt replied and in a most able, convincing, and lengthy speech, showed the unfortunate position Mr. Massie had put himself in by his misstatements. In respect of the Tory cry, Mr. Cowan said that it came with ill grace from the supporters of a government, which had taken into its bosom such rank Tories as Scott, Smith, Cartwright, Burpee, Coffin, Christie, and even Cauchon, the man whose offence was rank and smelled to heaven. During Mr. Cowan’s speech, a boy near the door amused himself by throwing peach stones and apple cores, a number of which struck the speaker. The chairman spoke to John C. McLagan, who was near the boy, and who saw articles thrown, and asked him, McLagan, if he sanctioned that sort of thing. Mr. McLagan who was inwardly chafed by the fact that the meeting was about 3 to 1 in favour of Mr. Goldie, affected to feel insulted and enraged, and made a most strenuous effort to break up the meeting, but there was not enough of the Guthrie rowdy element to second him successfully. A motion of confidence in Mr. Goldie was made by Thomas Lamont and Charles Barrett, but Mr. Goldie explained that he did not believe in binding people by resolutions passed at excited meetings; he would prefer to have the resolution omitted, and that the electors should go home and calmly think over what had been said before making up their minds. The resolution was not put. ◄ End of file ► |