Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

17 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

----------=------------------------Candidates…

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

-=- Candidates in the Constituencies. Renewed Disturbances at Fishguard. Mr. Samson's Meeting Broken Up. Further disturbances characterised a meet- ing held in the Temperance Hall, Fishguard, on Friday night in support of the candidature in the Conservative interests of Mr Marlay Samson. It had generally been anticipated that the proceedings would be of an orderly character, and this supposition was borne out by the quietute and patience which prevailed whilst awaiting the advent of the candidate, who had been delayed at another meeting. The surmise proved, however to be illusive, and, once an incentive had been provided, pandemonium broke out amongst the occu- pants of the rear of the hall, the gallery— which had been the scene of previous dis- turbances—having on this occasion been reserved for the use of ladies, who attended in strong force. Although the outbursts were on this occasion more spasmodic and inter- mittent than on that of the preced- ing week's meeting, they partook actually of a far more serious character, and at times assumed an undoubtedly grave aspect. Mr T G Bennett, J.P., presided, being sup- ported by the candidate, Mr J Llewellyn (Glam.), Capt. Titus Evans, Mr J C Yorke, J.P., Mr Yorke (junior), Mr G B Bowen, J.P., Mr David Rees, Mr D P Lewis, and two ladies. The Chairman, at the outset, appealed to the audience as a townsman to fellow-towns- men to accord the candidate a fair and im- partial hearing, adding that any questions which might be put would be answered to the best of the ability of the several speakers. The opening portion of the candidates' address was received in a perfectly orderly fashion, he being permitted without interruption to voice his appreciation at the fact that Councillor Evans, a well-known Radical, had that evening, at Henner, second- ed a vote of thanks to him, and also to quote from the Echo a statement that Alderman Williams had been good enough to speak of mm in a manner which he deeply appreciated. Having endorsed the Chairman's assurance as to the answering of questions, Mr Samson proceeded to remark that the object of all participating in an election was to endeavour to understand each other. He was promptly interrupted by an indi- vidual whom the audience dubbed Scottie," who, for a considerable period endeavoured to conduct the meeting upon his own lines from the opposite end of the hall. Thus incited, a section of the audience lost no time in revealing itself and,although there arose a few cries of Chuck him out," the bulk of the assembly under the gallery gave Way to cheers for Lloyd George and various other people unspecified, varied by interrup- tions, the precise drift of which was not ap- parent. Mr Samson invited the interruptor- who declared himself to be a plasterer-to come on the platform, but the invitation was declined, being afterwards reciprocated, Scottie ad- monishing the candidate to Come here, and I'll talk to you." Being further interruped. Mr Samson satiri- cally remarked, amidst laughter, You al- ways know the time when I want to breathe 1 m very much obliged to you. A reference to the Premier's proposals anent the House of Lords was greeted with the strains of Sospan Fach." The candidate endeavoured to proceed, but his remarke were drowned in ironical cheers and cries of Poor old Scottie." No sooner was he able to resume than he was admonished to Speak up," this being followed by cries of Order," and counter cries of Good Old Scottie." Dealing with the Budget his quotation from Lord Morley was greeted with some applause which was immediately drowned by hoot- ing. His next phrase elicited a brief but utterly unintelligible discourse from his persistent assailant, resulting in considerable uproar. The only phrases audible at the Press table Was^" Well, I call it Australian sausage,"and We'll have horse sausages." Mr Samson I'm very glad to join in the hope he has expressed (Uproar) Mr only wish is that he would go out now and get (daughter, followed by uproar, during wnich the candidate nonchalantly resumed resumed his seat). A semblance of order having been restored, he resumed, It is very evident to me-" (in- terruptions and cries of Order.") Scottie But Scottie's only speaking his mind. (Jeers) Joe Chamberlain never had a good fight until he got One up for the South African War (Cheers). I'll tell you more A*rarii anc* make you look where you are. We know what business is we aren't scav- engers. (Cries of' Chuck him out') But I tell you one thing more. General Roberts has told the truth, and we are going to stick to his truth. (Jeers). Mr Samson Now; I'll go back for a second innings, until he is ready again. (Ap- plause). He added that, after the amount of speak- ing which he had done during the week it was quite a pleasant change to sit down acd listen to another gentleman speaking so en- thusiastically (Prolongued hooting). Scottie: I have heard you CTT ^mson I think it is my innings now. ^Uproar) I think you ought to allow me, to have my innings. Scottie ? Why shouldn't I have the same. -(inaudible)-as what our old friend here ? Mr Samson: I don't know whether my friend is putting a question to me, but if he is— Scottie I know what I'm talking about. Mr Samson I'm very glad to hear it (Inter- uptions and uproar.) At this stage Scottie forced his way to the front of the hall, his progress being greeted with an amount of uproar which rendered it difficult to decide whether cheers or jeers predominated. It was generally assumed that he contemplated mounting the platform, but he apparently left the building by the stage door. His failure to appear on the platform evoked a perfect storm of hooting followed by general uproar. Order having been momentarily restored, the candidate remarked :—" I think mv friend who has gone out will be more comfortable outside in the cool than here. At this moment what appeared at first sight to be a free fight broke out at the rear of the hall. The majority of the audience in front faced round and mounted chairs in order to get a view of what was occurring whilst the Press were compelled to mount the platform, a point of vantage to which they had frequently to resort during the remainder of the proceedings. After about five minutes delay it transpired that nothing worse had occurred than some horseplay between the youths clustered under the gallery, and, the audience having been induced to resume their seats and to listen to an ineffectual attempt to raise the strains of "Sospan Fach," the proceedings were resumed. Mr Samson: We all agree that public meetings would be very dull things if we didn't occasionally have little cheerfal in- cidents like this and you don't know what a rest it is for me to sit down for five minutes and do nothing. t A female voice: We don't want you to sit own; we want to hear what you have got to say. (Cheers, jeers, laughter and uproar, gradually dwindling away to general con- versation). Mr Samson That lady's got good sense, .and she's got pluck. The female voice was again heard, but not intelligibly, being followed by mingled jeers .and applause. An attempt to sing Sospan Fach" ensued, but proved a failure, and the meeting again resigned itself to general con- b versation, which was ultimately broken into- by renewed jeers. Mr Samson: I'm sorry my voice—(interrup- tion and catcalls, followed by a minor dis- turbance at the rear, to which succeeded ironical cries of Order.") Henceforth a comparatively orderly hearing punctuated only by an occasional outburst of hoots. 1 Whilst he was dealing with the fiscal ques- tion, horseplay again arose at the rear or the building, the proceedings, as viewed from the platform, presenting the spectacle of a mix- ture riot.. Loud cries of Outside were raised, and deafening jeers were indulged in. Having exausted themselves the noisy ele- ment took a rest, after which if burst forth into a perfect pandemonium of howls, jeers, .and hoots, which gradually merged themsel- ves in the strains of John Brown." Takihg advantage of a momentary pause in the melodious proceedings, the candidate J:J stepped to the front of the platform and en- deavoured to continue his address, but the song burst forth again with renewed vigour. When finally he was able to insert a word edgeways, Mr Samson remarked, Well, I'm glad you haven't got a foreign-made piano to accompany you (Applause and ¡ Jeers). For some time he spoke amidst frequent interruptions, remarking that, from their own point of view they were very wise to try and drown his arguments, but ultimately another outburst took place at the rear of the hall bringing the proceedings once more to a standstill. A semblance of order having been restored, the candidate speaking with great difficulty amidst the din which still prevailed, said I am perfectly willing—(derisive clieers)-to try and do my best-(three cheers for Lloyd George)—to speak to the large. number of men who are interested in this problem, and who have done me the honour to come here tonight to listen to me but, if a certain num- ber of youths, who may not have votes, are determined to prevent by the loudness of their shouts my arguments being heard, I know perfectly well I cannot hope to compete against them (applause and hoots). If it is any satisfaction to them—I would not insult the Liberal party by suggesting that they are members of it-(jeers)-but: if it is any satis- faction to those young men at the end of the j, hall to prevent me putting the facts before j others, they must have -their way, because one man cannot prevail against a continual uproar (groans). Continuing, amidst general conversation on the part of his auditory, Mr Samson re- marked :—I must say that I think when we consider this problem of unemployment it is not wise to simply reject the example of Germany. It is many years ago since I was a Free Trader, as it was called- At this stage the general conversation, coupled with derisive laughter, became so pronounced as to completely drown the speaker's voice. Proceeding, he said that it had been after a great deal of consideration of the Colonial Conference report that he had come to hold the views which he now held (prolongued uproar). Mr Samson :—May I suggest—? (renewed uproar). I think I will finish now: I have said as much as it is possible to say. What I had hoped to do—(general interruptions)—was tc put before you those arguments that show Z, that Tariff Reform is a policy which would be beneficial to the interests of this country and would not in any way be a burden on the cost of the food of the working class. I had hoped, when I came here tonight, that I should be allowed to argue out those two questions—(cries of Go on," followed by an attempt to start a song)—but I am at the end of a very hard yveek, in which I have ad- dressed something like twelve or fourteen meetings. John Brown was here sung with enthusiasm. The candidate here interposed with, "It seems to me," but the remainder of his re- marks was cut short by a terrific uproar, in which the screams of women in the gallery mingled until drowned by the singing of Hen wlad fy nhadau." The song completed, the candidate pro- ceeded :—Now I say Good night to you, and I hope you will enjoy yourselves thoroughly (hear, hear and applause, follow- ed by the continuance of the song.) A PANIC. Suddenly, without the slightest warning, and without apparent motive, a most remark- able scene, imperilling the safety of the limbs, if not of the lives, of many present in the body of the hall, occurred. Just as the chairman, together with the candidate, his supporters, and the Press was leaving the platform, a wild rush was made by a number of young men diagonally across the hall, ploughing their way ruthlessly through the packed ranks of seated humanity of either sex and all ages that barred their path, upsetting chairs and people alike, and causing the greatest consternation. The occupants of seats near the front of the building rose immediately and, rushing to the t, stage, clambered hurriedly upon that structure, men helping women, and small boys (who were too young to under- stand the elements of politics and would have been better in bed) getting inextrically entangled in everybody's feet. The panic subsided as suddenly as it had arisen, giving way merely to the ordinary uproar which had preceded it. It had how- ever left its mark, for a considerable portion of the chairs in the front of the hall were lying overturned, that portion of the build- ing having emptied it across the stage. whilst the occupants at the rear appeared to be massed together. Most of those _who had mounted the plat- form left hurriedly by the stage door, whilst the juvenile element, having unwisely direc- ted attention to its own presence by giving audible expression to its political views, was quietly but firmly ejected by means of the scenic entrance. Meanwhile officials, Press, and a few ladies remained clustered on the platform surveying the remarkable spectacle presented by a densely-packed gallery of orderly ladies look- ing down upon a compact crowd of jeering youths clustered at the rear of an aJrea of overturned chairs. Suddenly a rotton egg struck with con- siderable force the exact centre of the upper portion of the proscenium, but fortunately the heignt was so great that practically no damage was done, although there was a sudden exodus from the centre of the stage towards the wings. No* further onslaught being, however, made, the occupants of the platform speedily mus- tered up courage and resumed their previous positions, a manoeuvre which resulted in one gentleman being struck in the chest with an orange, which fell at the feet of Mr J C Yorke, J.P,, who calmly placed it in his poc- ket. At intervals thenceforth pieces of orange peel were cast on to the platform, but without any noticeable damage to clothing, whilst the remnants of the audience resolutely de- clined to take their departure, even threats of cible ejection proving-unavailing. To add to the uproar a feminine voice emanating from the gallery commenced shrilly to denounce the conduct of the hostile element, yet so great was the prevalent din that it was quite impossible to gather with accuracy the precise nature of her caustic remarks. A start was made to extinguish the lights as a means of dispersing the crowd, but this was speedily abandoned as being preg- nant with grave danger both to life and to property. Another device resorted to was to sing the English National Anthem, but although occu- pants of the stage lined Up hatless, and rendered the refrain with as much gusto as they were capable of, they could scarcely hear their own voices, for with the first bar there broke forth from the crowd at the rear the worst pande- monium of hooting and jeering which has, in all probability, ever before been heard in that hall. The crowd was obviously, entirely out of hand-and the National Anthem was howled down During the whole of this period not a lady had stirred from the gallery. Whether they were interested in the unique spectacle, or whe- ther they were afraid to descend, it is impossi- ble to say, but there they remained, and no amount of shouting from the patform that the lamps were about to exinguished and that they had better leave exercised any appreciable effect. Ultimately stewards had to be sent up to persuasively clear the gallery, after which arguments were made use of which effectually emptied the body of the hall. STREET SCENES. Thanks chiefly to the foresight of Supt Rees Brinn—who had drafted eight additional con- stables into the town-the scenes witnessed in the streets were of by no means so grave a character as those in which the previous week's Conservative meeting had culminated. 0A11 the streets were well patrolled—the offi- cers generally going in couples—whilst a strong muster of the force was consentrated around the hall until the close of the proceedings, and on the Square and in High Street during the remainder of the evening. West-street was fairly packed with a dense crowd, which ultimately gravitated to The Square, where, for a considerable period it am- used itself by singing songs. High-street received considerable attention as the venue of the Tory headquarters, and, later in the evening when the leading lights of the Conservative party had departed,the principal thoroughfares of the town were paraded by an impromptu procession of young men imbued with an in-. tense love for vocal music.

TREVINE.

-----------..,,-ILiberal Demonstration…

Disturbances at Henner.

Fishguard Slaughter-house.

■ Fishgoard Tradesman's Misfortunes

--------Oddfellows Meeting…

NEVERN.

JORDANSTCN.

NEWPORT, PEM.

MAENCLOCHOG.

----------__-Pembroke Boroughs…

DINAS CROSS.

IN MEMORIAM.

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Foresters' Meeting at Fishguard.

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