Reminiscences of Rotherham
by G. Gummer, J.P.
« « prevunderstood to say 'he was sorry the audience had been put about and hoped they would not be cross ' (this referred to the meeting being held in the Square instead of in the Drill Hall). Continuing, he said he had no ambition to enter the Council Chamber; he had never injured a working man, and he had been asked to stand. Another of his observations was:
There’s a Divinity that shapes our ends, rough hew them as we may.. These expressions were received with cheers, only drowned by still greater applause when he announced that his friends thought his place was in St. Stephens. At the conclusion of a memorable meeting the chairman received instructions from the crowd to take his candidate home and rock him.
After several days of rich fun, the election resulted in Mr. Leggoe’s return by twelve votes over Mr. Cottam, Mr. Kitchen only receiving some 40 votes.
The West Ward also provided an interesting contest. Mr. Councillor Frederick Mason, who had entered the Council unopposed owing to the invalidity of Mr. Taffinder’s nomination paper the previous year had as an opponent Mr. W. L. B. Hirst. The pent up feelings of the burgesses were relieved and the retiring councillor had a warm time.
At every meeting the manner of his election the previous year was referred to and remarks such as 'You got in by a fluke;' 'You’re not worth tuppence', and 'We want a man to represent us', were too frequent to be pleasant.
The election resulted in the return of Mr.Hirst. Altogether five councillors opposed to what were now called the 'Kelseyites' were returned.
A PASTOR’S CENSURE
During these elections the Rev. Thomas Nicholson alluded to the 'scenes' in the Town Council duriiig the preceding twelve months as discreditable, and said they had caused the town to be the laughing stock of the whole county. Men of all shades of opinion agreed with him in deploring the low estate to which the Corporation proceedings had descended.AId. Neill, always ready to defend the good name of Rotherham, thought otherwise, He rebuked the reverend gentleman for meddling in such worldly matters, and advised him to devote his attention to his pastoral duties instead of speaking his mind at election meetings.
Why, because a minister of religion, is a man supposed by some people to sacrifice his citizenship and be debarred from taking his part in current affairs?
The Press also considered it their duty to draw public attention to the serious dissensions in the Council and to warn it of the danger to their welfare. Although repeatedly deploring the bitterness of feeling with all its uncouthness on public occasions, it had never before warned the townspeople in so serious a manner as it now thought it necessary to adopt.