The Grip Cartoons: Vols. I & Ii, May 1873 to May 1874

Part 1

THE GRIP CARTOONS

VOLS. I. & II.

May, 1873, to May, 1874.

WITH NOTES AND INTRODUCTION BY J. W BENGOUGH.

TORONTO: ROGERS & LARMINIE, 22 ADELAIDE STREET EAST. 1875.

Entered according to the Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, by ROGERS & LARMINIE, in the office of the Minister of Agriculture.

INTRODUCTORY NOTE.

Here, O Public! here they are! You have been clamoring in the most importunate and flattering fashion for a re-issue of the Cartoons of Grip, and out of pure good humour, I have gone to work and re-drawn them for you, because, you must know, these destiny-shaping pictures were not originally engraved upon wood, but were produced by lithography, and in due time each was utterly erased from the stone to make way for bill-heads and cigar labels. This has been no light task, but of course my good will towards men, together with the anticipation of being an author and writing an “introduction,” made it a labour of love. Now, the fact of the public request aforesaid will spare me the usual editorial humiliation of an introductory apology; and I need say nothing here about the subject matter of the sketches, as I have written an explanatory note (comprehensive and lucid enough I hope) opposite to each, and, therefore, my prefatory remarks are complete—with, by the way, a word to the Critics. Dear Critics, I defy you to do your worst. This work, as you know in your heart of hearts, is above criticism. There are no errata to be found in the text, and no false perspective or other defects in the drawings. If you hit upon anything that may persuade you to the contrary pray don’t write it. Come and see me personally at No. 2 Toronto Street, where I have hung my basket, and every Saturday croak “Never Say Die” to an ever increasing circle of patrons. But what an ungrateful rook I am to be sure, thus impudently chattering to those who have shown me nothing but generosity during my career, and to be thus boring the generous Canadian Public who have, with unexampled goodness, bestowed their favours on

Their humble Raven,

Grip.

CONTENTS.

Canada’s Farewell to Punshon, 1

After the Session; or, The Situation, 2

The New Mother Hubbard, 3

Law and Justice, 4

The Huntington Business, 5

An Overworked Mayor, 6

Canada’s “Laocoon,” 7

Will he come to Grief? 8

Dufferin’s Tormentors, or “Per vias Rectas,” 9

Isn’t that a Dainty Dish to set before a King? 10

Whither are we Drifting? 11

The Beauties of a Royal Commission, 12

Waiting for Huntington, 13

Wanted, a Good Stout Boy, 14

The Irrepressible Showman, 15

Blackwash and Whitewash, 16

“We in Canada seem to have lost all idea of Justice, Honour and Integrity,” 17

Part 2

“Progressing Favourably,” 18

Rehearsing for the 23rd instant, 19

“Will he get through?” 20

A case of Riel Distress, 21

“Of comfort no man speak. Let’s talk of graves, and worms and epitaphs,” 22

Miss Canada’s School, 23

The Political Mother Hubbard, 24

The Irrepressible Jack, 25

The Premier’s Model, 26

The Liberal Programme, or the Era of Purification, 27

The Political Giant Killer, 28

The West Toronto Run 29

“Christmas Pie,” 30

Johnny’s “Turn,” or New Year’s Joy, 31

The Cruel Object of “Dissolution,” 32

“Never Out,” 33

The New “Heathen Chinee,” 34

Political Pastimes, 35

Pity the Dominie! or Johnny’s Return, 36

Grip’s Valentine to Canada, 37

The New Departure, 38

The Curse of Canada, 39

The Opposition Quartette, 40

The Political Handy Andy, 41

A Question for Pay Day, 42

Grip’s Perpetual Comedy, 43

The Vacant Chair, 44

The Science of Cheek, 45

Part 3

A Touching Appeal, 46

Protestantism at Ottawa, 47

Mrs. Gamp’s Home-Thrust, 48

The Political Atlas, 49

Pacific Pastimes; or, “The Hard Road to Travel,” 50

“Dignity” without “Impudence,” 51

Ambition’s Thorny Path, 52

NO. 1.

“Canada’s Farewell to Punshon.”

The departure of Rev. W. MORLEY PUNSHON for England, after a few years’ sojourn in Canada as President of the Wesleyan Conference, took place on the 24th of May, 1873, (the day on which the first number of Grip appeared.)

MAY 24th, 1873.

CANADA’S FAREWELL TO PUNSHON.

CANADA—GOOD BYE THEN, DOCTOR, AND REMEMBER ME KINDLY TO THE OLD FOLKS AT HOME.]

NO. 2.

“After the Session.”

On the 2nd April, 1873, Hon. L. S. Huntington, member for Shefford, from his place in the House, charged Sir John A. Macdonald, Premier of the Conservative Government, with having corruptly sold to Sir Hugh Allan, of Montreal, the Charter of the proposed Canadian Pacific Railway, for a large sum of money, which had been used as a Ministerial Bribery Fund in the preceding General Election. Shortly after this, and before any decided inquiry had been made into the matter, Parliament was adjourned (on May 23rd,) until the following 13th of August. The Cartoon playfully suggests the feeling of the Opposition, (represented by Hon. A. Mackenzie,) towards the accused ministry during the “vacation.”

MAY 31, 1873.

AFTER THE SESSION; OR, ‘THE SITUATION.’

J. A. M—C—D—N—LD.—“COME ON, OLD FELLOW, IT’S ALL RIGHT, YOU KNOW; IT’S MY TURN TO TREAT!”

A. M—K—N—ZE.—“OH, AYE, JONEY! BET Y’ MAUN RECOLLEC’ I’M TE-TOTAL—MORE ESPECIALLY TILL AUGUST!”]

NO. 3.

“The New Mother Hubbard.”

An allusion to the City By-Law, introduced by Alderman WILLIAM THOMSON, compelling all owners of dogs to obtain Metallic Checks certifying that the City Dog Tax had been paid.

JUNE 14th, 1873.

THE NEW MOTHER HUBBARD.

SHE WENT TO HEAD-QUARTERS AND BOUGHT HIM A CHECK, AND WHEN SHE CAME BACK, PUT IT ON THE DOG’S NECK.—NURSERY RHYME.]

NO. 4.

“Law and Justice.”

Part 4

The advisability of removing the bronze statue of the Queen from the Park had been under discussion in the City Council, and created considerable interest. Grip, in this Cartoon, took the liberty of suggesting a work of art to supply the place of Mr. Marshall Wood’s figure. The persons represented are, in the centre, Mr. A. Macnab, Police Magistrate of Toronto; on the right, Mr. Nudell, a popular Court official; and on the left, Alderman John Baxter, J.P.

JUNE 21st, 1873.

LAW AND JUSTICE.

A DESIGN RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED TO THE QUEEN’S PARK STATUE COMMITTEE.]

NO. 5.

“The Huntington Business.”

“Sir John courts enquiry” was the oft-repeated assertion of the Conservative newspapers, in view of the approaching session of Parliament at which the charge brought by Mr. Huntington was to be regularly tried. The Cartoon was meant to depict the gallant Knight in his “courtship” in such a way as to render the quoted statement “sorter Ironikal” as A. Ward would say.

JULY 5, 1873.

THE HUNTINGDON BUSINESS.

“SIR JOHN COURTS ENQUIRY.”—THE MAIL.]

NO. 6.

“The Overworked Ma(yo)re.”

A palpable and surely a pardonable pun, seeing that its object was to pay a tribute to the official industry of the Civic Chief Magistrate for 1873—Alex. Manning, Esq. A branch of the Society of the Prevention of Cruelty, &c., had been established in the City shortly before the date of the cartoon.

JULY 12th, 1873.

AN OVERWORKED MA(YO)RE.

A FAIR CASE FOR OUR NEWLY-FLEDGED HUMANE SOCIETY.]

NO. 7.

“Canada’s Laocoon.”

An adaptation of the classical story of Laocoon and the serpents to the circumstances of some of the parties to what was already known as the “Pacific Scandal.” The persons represented are Sir Hugh Allan (to whom the charter was sold), Sir John Macdonald (by whom ditto), and Sir Francis Hincks. It is due to the latter gentleman to point out that, as indicated in the cartoon, he was merely suspected of complicity in the matter, and most emphatically denied the truth of the allegation of his guilt, made in some of the newspapers.

JULY 19th, 1873.

CANADA’S “LAOCOON:”

OR, VIRGIL ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

“Ecce antem gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta, &c.”—ÆNEID, BOOK II (Freely Translated)

When lo! two snakes (perhaps from the Yankee shore), Together trail their folds across the floor, With precious scandals reared in front they wind, Charge after charge, in long drawn length behind! While opposition benches cheer the while, And JOHN A. smiles a very ghastly smile!—and— Everybody knows the rest!]

NO. 8.

“Will he come to Grief?”

The legend of this cartoon sufficiently explains its import. The facetious occupation of the Clown had its analogue in the course pursued by The Globe during the “Scandal” excitement—an eager and justifiable desire to see the hero of the business unseated.

JULY 26th, 1873.

Part 5

WILL HE COME TO GRIEF?

THE THRILLING ACT NOW IN THE RING OF THE POLITICAL CIRCUS.]

NO. 9.

“Dufferin’s Tormentors.”

The Ministerial party in the House, headed by Sir John Macdonald were exceedingly anxious for a prorogation of Parliament, the Opposition as earnestly opposed that course. Their counter entreaties to the Governor-General on the subject suggested the familiar scene of the railway passenger and his friends the “cabbies.”

AUGUST 2nd, 1873.

DUFFERIN’S TORMENTORS, or “PER VIAS RECTAS.”

J—N A. (ANXIOUSLY.) “CARRIAGE, SIR? ‘MINISTERIAL’ HOTEL—ONLY CONSTITUTIONAL PLACE IN THE CITY—COME ALONG WITH ME, SIR.”

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