Welsh Journals

of Beaufort (if so, 'Abel Thomas pitied him from his heart') but Meredyth denied that. So was it the Carlton Club? 'Then it had been said that he had been sent by his mother. But if so he (Mr Thomas) wanted to know what right she had to send her son down to try and represent Swansea'). Thomas's attack on the young Tory contains a purple passage full of biblical references, easily understood by his Nonconformist audience: He thought that he had put on the breast plate of Lord Salisbury, that he had put on the brass head piece of Lord Randolph Churchill and girded on himself the sword of John Glasbrook [local alderman] (loud cheers) because he stands head and shoulders above the rest. But, alas for this young David, his armour fits him terribly badly, the sling he ought to be fighting with seems to have got entangled round his neck and to have become a halter (applause) and the pebbles which he should have taken from the River Tawe are all deep down in the pocket of the Liberal Goliath (loud cheers) Had Swansea become such a Sodom and Gomorrah that the Tories could not find a single man amongst them to put forward as their representative (cheers)? He said that it was a disgrace to the Conservatives that they could not find a better man to champion their cause, but it would be a disgrace to the Liberals if they allowed him to represent them (cheers). Mr Thomas concluded by hoping that the Liberals of Swansea would, by an overwhelming majority for Mr Dillwyn, send this young man back to his mamma and his party, a wiser, if not a better man (loud cheers). Lively Scenes Swansea Liberals seem to have taken Lawyer Thomas's words to heart. The Conservative Western Mail of 30 June reports 'Organised Rowdyism by Radicals. Disgraceful Proceedings' at Swansea's Church Army Hall, where uproar during the Tory candidate's speech turned to unruliness, with 'a rush being made for the young candidate by a band of rowdies bent on injuring him. Protected by his friends he made his way down Alexandra Road, 'followed by a disorderly and riotous rabble, who were dressed as youths but behaved like lunatics. Throughout the evening Mr Meredyth conducted himself with great coolness and courage and his conduct, under most trying circumstances elicited the admiration of a number of the more sensible Liberals.' The same paper on 17 July reporting the 'Great Meeting at the Albert Hall' headlines 'Radical Rowdyism Again. Organised Disturbance of the Proceedings. Lively Scenes'. The venue was 'besieged' two hours before the commencement of the meeting 'by those who were anxious to participate in the fun'. Charles Bath, a leading Swansea Conservative and former candidate, was given a fairly quiet hearing but pandemonium broke out when William Meredyth rose to speak. Robert Burnie, Vice-President of the Liberal Association, and Dillwyn's successor as MP, mounted the platform and successfully appealed for silence which lasted for a brief moment. After an hour or so, Meredyth gave up. Two prominent Conservatives ventured into Swansea to support young William: 'the Western Mail of 29th October reported that the Earl of Dunraven and Mount Earl, Under-Secretary for the Colonies addressed a large meeting at the Prince of Wales Drill Hall' whilst the same newspaper informed its readers on 17 November that The Duke of Norfolk addressed a meeting in support of Mr Meredyth at the