History of the New England newspaper press 20 - Drummond goes to the circus

 Wirth’s Circus 1941. Photo State Library. The touring circus that Drummond spoke to at half time were a feature of country life.

This is the twentieth in a series on the history of the media and especially the newspaper press in New England, the thirteenth column on the emergence of the NSW Country Party.

The offer by Stephen Cosh to drive Drummond around the electorate free of charge “except for petrol and a tyre or two” did prove a Godsend. 

They moved from meeting to meeting, up to ten in day. Drummond would usually spoke in the open air (during the whole campaign he only spoke in halls three times including his campaign opening in the Inverell Town Hall) then adjourn to a room with his local committee to sign scrutineer and other forms and lay out the plan of organisation. 

After the meetings were finished, he and Stephen would retire, often as late as 1 am, to a quiet place in the countryside to spend the night. 

The travellers had always to be ready for the unexpected. One night Drummond arrived at Ashford to find the whole village in darkness, for the circus was in town and the whole countryside was at it. 

There was no chance of coming back Drummond therefore asked the manager if he could speak at half-time. He responded dubiously, “that if I could stand it he supposed he could.”

At half time Drummond bounded into the Ring with a small wooden box:. "Ladies & Gentlemen. My name is David Drummond Progressive Candidate at the forthcoming State Election. Take a good look at me and make up your mind what you think of me. Vote Drummond No. 1". 

Grabbing the box, he made a fast exit before the bottles etc. began to fly. “That was the shortest political speech I ever made”, he later recalled. 

Considering that the other Progressive candidates would concentrate first on the towns, Drummond focused on the country districts. 

In those days, before radio and television, politicians could still attract large public audiences. Since Drummond was the first candidate in the field it was not unusual to find ninety to one hundred people gathered at some agreed cross roads, “really alert and stirred up to break free from being run by ‘City Lawyers’ & nominees of the Nationalist Party Executives”.

Drummond usually devoted the first half of his speech to an explanation of proportional representation. This always gained a good response and allowed him to preach his political message during the second half of his speech. 

His theme was always 'Decentralization, Development and Decent Government'. He usually finished by saying that “Parties, Platforms and Policies existed for only one reason, the good government of the people. When they ceased to serve this end they should cease.”

Drummond was now developing campaign guidelines that he generally observed throughout his long political career.

“I never made the mistake then or later of slanging my opponents. I simply ignored their existence. Never did I make the cardinal blunder of dealing with past incidents in Parliament. ‘You people know all about what has been happening in the past in Parliament. What you are interested in hearing is the Policy of the Progressives’ & I went on to explain my own version of that policy.” 

This approach was “new and held an audience tired of the old political clap.” It also “compelled the opposition to fight on a battle ground of my own choosing.”

Note to readers: This post was prepared as a column for the on-line edition of the Armidale Express. I am repeating the columns here with a lag because they are not all on line outside subscription. You can see all the Belshaw World and History Revisited/History Matters columns by clicking here for 2009, here for 2010, here for 2011, here for 2012, here for 2013, here for 2014, here for 2015,  here for 2016, here  2017, here 2018, here 2019, here 2020 

History of the New England newspaper press 19 - David Drummond and rivals for election in 1920

Born at Nundle in 1886, shearer and AWU union organiser Alfred McClelland was expected to win the first Northern Tablelands seat, the popular Mick Bruxner the second. This left David Drummond campaigning for third spot against a raft of candidates.

This is the nineteenth in a series on the history of the media and especially the newspaper press in New England, the twelfth column on the emergence of the NSW Country Party.

David Drummond may have won the first round, but his success at the March 1920 elections was by no means assured.

Under the multi-member proportional representation system being tried for the first time, three members were to be elected. Drummond considered, accurately, that the Labor vote would be disciplined and that their number one candidate, Australian Workers' Union organiser Alfred McClelland, would certainly be elected first. He also considered, again accurately, that Colonel M.F. Bruxner, the Progressives' star candidate, would be elected next. 

Bruxner was then thirty-eight. Deservedly popular, he had a fine war record, was a member of an old grazing family and a grazier and stock and station agent himself, was a noted amateur rider at picnic races and had a friendly, out-going personality. 

Bruxner's assured success left Drummond contending for third place against a galaxy of candidates, including two sitting members, F.J. Thomas and H.W. Lane, the Nationalist member for Armidale. 

This was difficult enough. In addition, each Progressive candidate had to organise his own campaign committee and pay for his own personal expenses including publicity, printing, advertising and travel. Short of funds, the Central Council would only pay for general party advertising and for rent of halls when authorised by the District Councils. 

This created no problems for the wealthy and popular Bruxner, but for the poor and still struggling Drummond it was another matter. Although his campaign committee numbered thirty, no less than twenty-nine were from the Inverell district. The Drummond campaign organisation was described by a local stock inspector as 'one newspaper and a handful of cockies'. 

They may only have been 'a handful of cockies', but their loyalty and work were vital. 

The support given by Drummond's old friends from Mt. Russell, the Coshs, was particularly important. Leonard Cosh appointed himself Drummond's advance agent and political secretary. He was supported fully by his brother Arthur. Their uncle, Stephen Cosh, provided transport. 

Stephen had recently lost his wife. Advised by his doctor to go away on a trip, Cosh bought a large car with a camping body intending to take his daughter on a tour of Western Australia. The daughter's appendicitis forced the trip's cancellation. 

Stephen Cosh now offered to drive Drummond around the electorate free of charge 'except for petrol and a tyre or two'. He stipulated, however, that he would not stay in hotels because of his nervous condition. 

To Drummond, who had a store of inexhaustible energy and a powerful voice but little money, this offer was a Godsend. The following campaign showed Drummond’s drive as well as his emerging political shrewdness.

Note to readers: This post was prepared as a column for the on-line edition of the Armidale Express. I am repeating the columns here with a lag because they are not all on line outside subscription. You can see all the Belshaw World and History Revisited/History Matters columns by clicking here for 2009, here for 2010, here for 2011, here for 2012, here for 2013, here for 2014, here for 2015,  here for 2016, here  2017, here 2018, here 2019, here 2020 

History of the New England newspaper press 18 - Candidate pulled no punches in 1920

The young David Drummond when he was first establishing himself. Every effort was made to block has endorsement as a Progressive Party candidate for the Northern Tablelands seat. This is the eighteenth in a series on the history of the media and especially the newspaper press in New England, the eleventh column on the emergence of the NSW Country Party.

The Glen Innes Progressive Party Electorate Council meeting held to consider the Party’s nominations for the March 1920 NSW State elections had seen a deliberate attempt to exclude Drummond as a candidate. 

Drummond recognized that the events at the meeting might be used to discredit him. There was to be a Farmers’ and Settlers’ (FSA) District Council meeting at Inverell next day. Drummond decided to return from Arding to Inverell in the morning to get the Council's endorsement for his action. 

Waiting at Uralla railway for the northbound train, Drummond met a farmer who casually remarked "All the other candidates are going down to meet Central Council tomorrow. I suppose you will be going". In a flash Drummond replied, just as casually, "Yes I will be going" although it was the first he knew of it. 

In some ways this deliberate attempt to exclude Drummond from the field is not surprising.

To party officials he would not have appeared a good candidate, despite the organising abilities he had already displayed. He was young, turning thirty the next month; very deaf (and adequate hearing aids were still some years off); relatively unknown outside his own district and a non-smoker and non-drinker lacking in easy social graces. Equally, Drummond's stubbornness at Glen Innes would not have endeared him to the other candidates or their supporters.

This stubbornness now came to his aid. Drummond calculated that he just had time to travel to Inverell as planned: north by train to Glen Innes then sixty-eight kilometres across country, get a letter from his District Council stating that they still regarded him as a properly endorsed candidate, then get back to Glen Innes to catch the 5 pm south-bound train.

Next morning Drummond presented himself at the FSA's Sydney headquarters where the Party's Central Council was to meet. The Party's General Secretary (J.J. Price, also General Secretary of the FSA) tried hard to convince Drummond that he should withdraw. Drummond refused, produced the Inverell District Council letter, and was asked to wait.

At that moment one of the chosen four at the Glen Innes meeting stepped from the lift. “I have often heard the expression ‘So & So was so surprised he literally tripped over his own feet’”, Drummond later recalled. “This was the only occasion on which I have ever seen it.” 

“I had been deliberately barred ... and here I was calmly sitting outside the Council room when I was supposed to be 400 miles away in the peaceful countryside.”

 Drummond decided to “pull no punches”. 

“You claim to be a Farmer's Party”, he told Central Council, “yet every attempt has been made to prevent the one bona-fide farmer from being endorsed as a candidate.” Your present team consists of two graziers, a store keeper and a money lender. “If you think with this team you are going to beat the Labor Party which has one if not two genuine Farmers in its team, then I believe you will find yourself badly mistaken.” 

This appeal was successful. Next day it was announced that Bruxner, Crapp, Little and Drummond were the endorsed Progressive candidates.

Note to readers: This post was prepared as a column for the on-line edition of the Armidale Express. I am repeating the columns here with a lag because they are not all on line outside subscription. You can see all the Belshaw World and History Revisited/History Matters columns by clicking here for 2009, here for 2010, here for 2011, here for 2012, here for 2013, here for 2014, here for 2015,  here for 2016, here  2017, here 2018, here 2019, here 2020 

History of the New England newspaper press 17 - How the battle for pre-selection happened in 1920

Lieutenant Colonel H F White DSO, 35th Battalion, standing in front of his quarters at Lahoussoye, France White handled the Progressive Party pre-selection meeting with firmness and tact. 

This is the seventeenth in a series on the history of the media and especially the newspaper press in New England, the tenth column on the emergence of the NSW Country Party.

Early in 1920, the Progressive Party's Electorate Council met at Glen Innes to consider candidates for the March elections.

In addition to David Drummond, seven nominations had been received from the branches: M.F. Bruxner (grazier and stock and station agent of Tenterfield); J.S. Crapp (grazier of Uralla); F.B. Fleming (grazier of Moree); P.R. Little (grazier and storekeeper of Bundarra); G.B. Ring (financial agent of Inverell); George Codrington (journalist of Inverell); and A. Piggot (orchadist and farmer of Inverell).

 Early in 1920, the Progressive Party’s Electorate Council met at Glen Innes to consider candidates for the March elections., In addition to Drummond, seven nominations had been received from the branches: M.F. Bruxner (grazier and stock and station agent of Tenterfield); J.S. Crapp (grazier of Uralla); F.B. Fleming (grazier of Moree); P.R. Little (grazier and storekeeper of Bundarra); G.B. Ring (financial agent of Inverell); George Codrington (journalist of Inverell); and A. Piggot (orchadist and farmer of Inverell).

It was a difficult meeting for Drummond.

The Progressives with their slogan 'No pre-selection or pledge' were strongly opposed to any form of pre-selection of candidates. At the same time, only two candidates could hope to be successful in the three member electorate, Labor was assured of the third seat, while there were also financial problems associated with large numbers of candidates.

 An immediate move was made to exclude. Drummond. It was to avoid just this possibility that Drummond had gained the assurances from the president and secretary of the Council that his Party organising work would not invalidate his candidature, and he refused to budge.

 The Council then packed the candidates off to the Council Chambers to debate who should withdraw. Just before lunch it was proposed that the candidates should have a ballot among themselves to select the three or four most likely to succeed. Drummond rejected this: he politely told the group that he had been invited to run, was correctly nominated, and until his Committee asked him to withdraw 'there was nothing doing'.

 After lunch the candidates, with Drummond dissenting, asked the Electorate Council to indicate which four were most likely to succeed. The Chairman, Colonel H.F. White, 'one of the most likeable and sterling characters' Drummond had met, refused on the grounds that 'it would be really pre-election selection which they had come into existence as a Party to destroy'. The candidates thereupon returned to the Council Chambers.

 The pressure was intense. 'We are getting nowhere', one candidate told the group angrily, 'Drummond is a beggar to argue'.

 As a number of candidates needed to catch the 5 pm southbound Glen Innes Mail, the proposal was made that they should hold a ballot among themselves to select the most likely four, but that the result should not bind Drummond. Drummond, 'heartily sick of playing a lone hand all-day', agreed, as did Council Chairman White.

 In the vote that followed, Drummond came fifth with three votes. Realizing as he caught the south-bound Glen Innes Mail that evening for Uralla (Pearl and the children were staying at nearby Arding) that publication of the ballot result must damage his changes Drummond decided to act.  

 There was to be a Farmers’ and Settlers’ (FSA) District Council meeting at Inverell next day. Drummond decided to return to Inverell in the morning to get the Council's endorsement for his action.

 Waiting on the Uralla platform next morning for the north-bound train, Drummond had a casual conversation that changed his life, 

Note to readers: This post was prepared as a column for the on-line edition of the Armidale Express. I am repeating the columns here with a lag because they are not all on line outside subscription. You can see all the Belshaw World and History Revisited/History Matters columns by clicking here for 2009, here for 2010, here for 2011, here for 2012, here for 2013, here for 2014, here for 2015,  here for 2016, here  2017, here 2018, here 2019, here 2020