From Crow-Scaring to Westminster: An AutobiographyEdwards, George, Sir
History
From Crow-Scaring to Westminster: An Autobiography
Edwards, George, Sir
George Edwards, 1850-1933
This last song reveals that over forty years ago the men had the ideal
of a fuller life. The struggle in question lasted nearly a month, but we
gained the 1s. increase.
The next battle was fought side by side with Arch's Union. This was over
the resistance of a wage reduction. It was on a large scale and was
fought with great bitterness. Many of the men were evicted from their
homes. This time we were not successful by reason of the fact that the
years of 1891 and 1892 were years of great agricultural depression and
there were large numbers of unemployed in the villages. After a bitter
struggle the men went back to work at the wage offered them. This
greatly dispirited the men, though I did my best to encourage them both
on the platform and in the press.
CHAPTER VI
A DEFEAT AND A VICTORY
In 1892 I fought my first political battle, and for the first time my
faith in the Liberal Party received a shock. In this year took place the
second General County Council Election, and, by special request of the
working men in the Cromer district, I allowed myself to be nominated as
a Liberal-Labour candidate for that division, expecting, of course, that
I should have the united support of the Liberal Party in whose interests
I had worked so hard for several years. Believing them when they said
they were anxious that the working man should be represented on all
Authorities, one can understand my surprise and astonishment when I
found the leading Liberal in the district nominating as my opponent the
leading Tory in the district! I lost faith in their sincerity. It was
evident they were not prepared to assist the working men to take their
share in the government of the country. The contest was turned at once
into a class contest. Many of the leading Liberals, as well as the
Tories, expressed their disgust at a working man having the audacity to
fight for a seat on the Norfolk County Council against a local landlord.
My opponent was the late Mr. B. Bond Cabbell, who was returned unopposed
at the first election of the Council.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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