Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 104, February 25, 1893

E-text prepared by Matt Whittaker, Juliet Sutherland, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net)

No. V.—AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION.
( Scene and Persons as usual. )
First Well-informed Man. There hasn't been much in this debate on the Addresses.
Second W. I. M. Oh. I don't know. They've promised a pretty big list of measures. How they're going to find time for the lot I can't make out.
First W. I. M. ( contemptuously ). Yes, that's always the way with these Governments. They all talk mighty big at the beginning of the Session, and then, at the end, they've done nothing, absolutely nothing; at least, nothing that's any good to anybody. Parliament's getting to be nothing but a bear-garden. The House won't be a fit place for a gentleman to be seen in soon.
Second W. I. M. ( spitefully ). You didn't seem to think it would be such a bad place for one gentleman, about eight months ago. You were after a constituency yourself, weren't you?
First W. I. M. Well, and what if I was? I told you at the time why I thought of standing. I thought I could do some good, but I precious soon found they were a miserable lot, so I made 'em my bow. Gentlemen, I said, you can worry it out among yourselves, and, when you've agreed, you can let me know.
Second W. I. M. And they never did let you know, did they? Went and elected another Johnny. Deuced bad taste I call it.
Inquirer ( creating a diversion ). Look here, I say, what's all this talk about Agricultural Depression? What does it mean?
First W. I. M. What does it mean! Why, my dear chap, I should have thought that any schoolboy knew that our agriculture is being simply ruined. If things go on like this, we shan't have a farmer left. They're all on the verge of bankruptcy.