Election poem, Montreal, 1853

In honour of the municipal election which takes place in Montreal tomorrow I am presenting this poem published in 1853, describing the power of the voter.  Though the words are  a wee bit flowery they are actually quite apropos.  For those in Montreal- Vote!!!!

 

Montreal Witness, 12 January 1853, page 19

 

The poor voter on election day

 

The proudest now is but my peer,

The highest not more high;

To-day, of all the weary year,

A king of men am I!

To-day alike are great and small,

The nameless and the known;

My palace is the people’s hall

The ballot box my throne.

 

Who serves to-day upon the list

Beside the served shall stand;

Alike the brown and wrinkled fist,

The gloved and dainty hand.

The rich are level with the poor,

The weak are strong to-day;

And sleekest broad-cloth counts no more

Than homespun frock of gray.

 

To-day let pomp and vain pretence

My stubborn right abide;

I set a plain man’s common sense

Against the pedant’s pride!

To day shall simple manhood try

The strength of gold and land;

The wide world has not wealth to buy

The power in my right hand.

 

While there’s a grief to need redress,

Or balance to adjust,

Where weighs our loving manhood less,

Than Mammon’s vilest dust,

While there’s a right to claim my vote,

Or wrong to sweep away,

Up! Clouted knee and ragged coat!

A man’s a man to-day!