The Niagara Elector: A Jolly Ditty by Anonymous

elector
The Niagara Elector: A Jolly Ditty

I cannot vote for Thompson—
  Just hear the reason why—
Because this new Dominion
  Wants men who will not lie.
We want no two-faced member,
  When treason lurks around ;
We want a true Canadian
  That’s honest, upright, sound.
I cannot vote for Thompson,
  His loyalty aint clean :
He forswore his allegiance
  To England’s noble Queen.

I will not vote for Currie,
  He’s nothing but a tool,
And gets his education
  In the Globe’s disloyal school.
He’s helping Brown’s convention,
  To organize new strife,
To aid the agitator
  To start in public life.
I will not vote for Currie,
  His eyes are set behind,
And he cannot look before him,
 To see what’s in the wind !

I will not vote for Thompson,
  He’s crazy as a loon,
He’d make a splendid member
  To represent the moon !
His stomach is enormous,
  It never can be filled,
He eat Niagara Common,
  Our railroad he has grilled.
He leased up all the farmers,
  And still holds out his dish,
He swallowed half the river,
  And he wanted all the fish !

I cannot vote for Currie,
  He serves Dictator Brown,
Who sides with Reds and traitors,
  Who hate the Queen and Crown.
I cannot vote his ticket,
  He’s in the boat with Howe,
The foe of Federation
  Who wants to raise a row.
His road is not a right one—
  The Currie Road you see
He goes for Yankee Thompson, 
And that’s enough tor me ! 

I’ll never vote for Thompson,
  He wants to cut and carve,
He built himself a palace,
  And let his workmen starve.
We’ll raise the British colours
  And never turn our coat.
We’ll put in Angus Morrison
  By every loyal vote !
We will not go for Thompson,
  His promise never sticks.
We will not eat his pancakes,
Nor take his dirty bricks !

We will not vote for Currie, 
  He’s only fit to bark, 
We’ll  choose an honest farmer
  Who is a man of mark.
He ploughs the Heights of Queenston,
  He glories in their fame,
A loyal British Farmer,
  And Robertson’s his name !
We’ll never vote for Thompson,
  He took the Yankee oath,
We will not vote for Currie, 
  For HE seems nothing loath.

Come all ye Whigs and Tories,
  Whatever your degree ;
Niagara Town and Township, 
  Now loyally agree !
We love Confederation ;
  We hate mere faction fight,
We’ll back th’ Administration
  So long as they do right !
For Morrison and Robertson
  We’ll man the union boat,
We’ll gloriously elect them
  And never split a vote !

God save our new Dominion,
  God save our noble Queen ;
We’re now the biggest nation,
  America has seen.
We go for law and order,
  We’ll squelsh both Howe and Brown.
We’ll support the constitution,
  They shall never pull it down !
For Morrison and Robertson,
  We’ll all throw off our coats 
They are the people’s candidates,
  And they shall have our votes !


Source: The Niagara Elector has no date, no author, and no publication information. This item can be found in the collections of Library and Archives Canada and full text on the Internet Archive

N.B. The correct spelling of “Thompson” as used in the poem is without the “p” – hence “Thomson”

This poem refers to the federal and provincial elections of 1867.  In the federal election held from August 7 to September 20, 1867,  in the Town of Niagara (current day Niagara-on-the-Lake) Conservative Angus Morrison defeated Liberal William Alexander Thomson 300 votes to 250 votes. In the provincial election of September 3, 1867, Conservative Donald Robertson defeated Liberal James Currie 302 votes to 254