Day after Day 25

October 1st, 1906

Dear Harold,
This time it is I who have bad news for you. I think we must postpone our wedding yet again. My
father has been pestered by Conservatives to stand for the council elections in November. They have told him that if he is elected they will put his name forwards to be the mayor. Can you imagine it? My father, the Mayor of Worcester!

Father, despite all his social groups and business connections, is a very quiet and shy man. In allowing his name to be put forward for the St Martin's Ward he is showing that he feels he
must do this. He heard a sermon at St. Martin's last week, given by his friend Rev. R.R. Needham, about how one must not hide one's talent and how important it is for men of integrity to come forward
and stand for public office. Rev. Needham spoke of the necessity to reconstruct society on Christian principles.

Rev. Needham strongly disassociated himself and the Church from any complicity with or condoning of the state of unworthiness revealed during the recent inquiry, and appealed to all who exercised votes to use them for God's glory and to the highest good of their fellow men.

Father said it was almost as if God had stepped down from the altar and talked to him personally. He felt impelled to offer his services, and now he has. Since I am a forward planner, thinking of every eventuality and the consequences of it, I know that my father will find being Mayor very hard work, and it will be even harder for my mother.

She has not been particularly well. Her weight is a problem. She very much avoids public appearances whenever she can. As the wife of the Mayor she will be expected to be at his side for
all his public engagements, and she will be expected to fulfil some engagements on her own. She begged me to be with her, and I have agreed. In effect I am becoming joint-mayoress. This of course is based on the presumption that father will be elected.

Darling Harold, I am asking for your understanding. Please let us put our wedding back by another year, so that I can help my parents in this momentous year in their lives. Let us plan now to marry in January or February, 1908. I promise I will let nothing else stand in the way of our marriage and my being with you in Malaya.

Please reply to me as quickly as you can. Reassure me that this will be all right and that you will wait for me.

On a lighter note, you asked who else had signed my Ghosts of My Friends Book. Evelyn Underwood of course, who gave it to me, then Father, and your brother Jimmy, May, (see above) signing with her new surname Day, and John. And then in late August we had the Pinkeys to
stay and quite a house party. So Violet, Isobel, Edward and Phyllis all signed it. Gertrude Sonderman and her husband did too and also Katharine Brownlow. You wouldn't believe how different each picture is.
I will bring it with me to Malaya and we can have all your friends there sign it too.

Much love from Muriel

*****

Lahat, Perak
October 23rd

Muriel,
I don't know what to say. I am so disappointed and hurt. I feel like you are rejecting me in order to
be with your parents. I feel like your life with me is very much put in second place to your parents' needs. They are grown up people. Your father knows your mother's weaknesses and problems as well as, if not better than, you. Are you saying that he is not only willing to let you put your life on hold for his selfish ambitions, but is demanding this of you?

I do love you, and I do want to marry you, I have told my manager that I will not now be leaving at the end of next month to get married. I wonder what your excuse will be next year? What if your father decides to serve for two years as Mayor. What if your mother becomes ill? What if she dies? When will your life with me take preference to your life in Worcester?

I must not rave on more, but you wanted a quick response and you have now had it.

Harold

*****

Lansdowne Crescent
November 8th, 1906

Dear Harold,
I was so shocked when I read your cold letter. I was sure you would understand my feelings. I was sure I had your support when I explained how I felt I had no choice, that even though it seems as if I am putting my parents above you, it is only for one year and only because I feel somehow that it is my duty to do so.

I don't even know if you are interested in the result of the election. Perhaps you have had a change of heart and will now be interested. It was held on November 1st. My father stood for St. Martin's ward, along with Mr. Philips and Mr. Moore, both of whom are of the Progressive party. My father won. He polled 724 votes, with Mr. Philips getting 662, and Mr. Moore 610. As you know it is the first two names that get to be councillors.

There was a rather disappointing result for Mr. Tree, Margaret and Jessie's father. He was on the council last time. Four candidates stood in the St. Peter's Ward, Mr. Wood topped the poll with 809, Mr. Whitefield had 794, Mr. Tree got 585 and Mr. March 516. So Mr Tree will no longer be on the council.

As he had expected, when the new council first met on the 8th my father was appointed Mayor, by unanimous wish of the council.

There were contrasting reports on the election in the Chronicle and Burrow's Worcester Journal on Saturday the 3rd. I have copied them for you.

Municipal Battle Worcester

Sweeping Victory: Enormous Majority

Electors have not only defeated, but have routed those who have fought under the false banner of "purity and progress." The results which were declared last night are due punishment of Radical malignity in speech writing and action. They are an overwhelming reply to the base accusation that the Unionist predominance in this City was won and maintained by corruption. They have administered a crushing blow to those who have done their worst against the Conservative party and against the city. They manifest the citizens' feeling with respect to the venom of so much that has
been said and the vindictiveness of so much that has been done. They most emphatically express the citizens' detestation of trickery, hypocrisy and falsehood.

One of those Radicals who have vilified the Conservative party must have anticipated such results - sweeping defeat of the Radicals, if not such great majorities - when he uttered the words of desperation with regard to abandonment of party hope and endeavour in the hope of failure of a general assault on Conservative strength, after the issue of petition and commission, Mr. Harben has an exceedingly plain answer. He has asserted that he was elected last January "by a clear majority of the honest citizens of Worcester." He has joined in Radical appeal to the city's honour and now he tastes the cup of deep humiliation.

In the course of the contest we referred to the "Radical raid". A speaker at the "mass meeting"
on Tuesday night said he preferred to call it "Radical lead." Very many citizens remember the times when the Radicals did lead - in political debauchery. There is now a small survival of that widespread corruption. There are men of the lowest class who have continued to look for drink or money in small amount in order to get drink, for the purpose of celebrating the occasion. Some of them became informers, and were enriched for a time with Radical money, which we may be sure was not purely spent. Some of them were instigated by Radicals to get what they could from the few over-zealous Conservatives, and then, no doubt they voted for Mr. Harben, who should take the fact into account before he talks about the honest majority. Such scoundrels were witnesses, not merely with
respect to wrong doing, but against innocence and public worth. There would not have been such intense indignation throughout the city amongst all classes had their not been such sharp resentment; if there had not been, on Radical part, such loud profession of virtue which has not been practiced, such abominable imputation on the Conservative party, and such persistent effort of malice and humbug.

Let Radicals call it what they please - raid or lead. They know what it is now - a smashing defeat. Unionist can boast a sentimental triumph. Something has been said about a Radical "order" to fight all along the line. Whether the order was given in Worcester or sent along the line from another place we do not know. If it was sent, there is now a good answer, and the pill, big and bitter as it is, must be swallowed.

Six Conservative wards were attacked, while one was yielded, not by weakness but by the misfortune which compelled Mr. Sigley to retire when there was not time for finding another
candidate. But the Radicals decided to fight, whether voluntarily or under compulsion, and the result is that ten Conservatives and only two Radicals are elected. Of the two Radicals, one holds a seat where a Conservative had not a candidate ready and the other holds his seat in a ward in which only one Conservative candidate was brought forward. It is pretty certain that if two more Conservative
candidates were in the field, not a single Radical would have been brought forward.

Under circumstances that might have appealed with less force to party spirit, Mr. Tree would probably have retained his seat. If Mr. Loach had not been attacked, Mr. Tree, whose character
and ability are widely known, we have no doubt would have been returned without opposition.

In St. Martin's, Mr. G. Williams King was a capital candidate and he has banished the illusion that Rainbow Hill was a Radical stronghold which could not be successfully assailed.

RESULTS OF THE POLLING

Amid scenes of excitement almost equally those which attend a Parliamentary election, the results of the contests in the six wards of Worcester were declared last night. High Street was
crammed with people, particularly before the Guildhall, from eight o'clock till eleven, but there was not much colour about, the prevailing tone, however of what there was being red. The counting
took place in the Old Council Chamber, the South Room, the Police Court, the Green Room and the Sessions Court, and the first result, that for All Saints, in which Mr. Palmer and Mr. Simes were returned was announced about 10 o'clock. The rest were announced with intervals of a few minutes. A considerable number of the "city fathers" and others had congregated at the Guildhall and there
were frequent cries of "What about the purity brigade now?" and similar expressions as the results became known.

Mr. Maund was much in evidence. He fairly went mad with delight tearing about the hall, up and down the stairs, and shaking hands effusively with is political associates. As each result
became known he and Alderman Aldicott fairly rushed at each other and did all but embrace. Mr. Fairbain was in the midst of it all, cracking jokes and returning a jocular answer to all sorts of
badinage on the part of his opponents. Every now and then the crowd outside burst into cheering. All the beaten candidates took their defeat like men and several of the expressed intention of fighting
again.

November 10th - The Worcestershire Chronicle

MAYOR for NEXT YEAR

Mr. G. Williams King, grocer and provision merchant, The Cross, having been asked to allow himself to be nominated for the office of Mayor, consented to accept same if it was the unanimous wish of the Council.

Mr. King, who is a leading Conservative, headed the poll in St. Martin's Ward on Thursday week. Nearly 20 years ago he held a seat in the City council, but retired through press of business. He is president of the Chamber of Commerce, and a prominent Freemason, being Past Senior Grand Warden of the Province of Worcestershire.

While on the Council, the new Mayor, thought he did not often take part in the debates was a member of several committees including the Finance committee, and did useful work. He
takes a keen interest in Church work and was for a time churchwarden of Holy Trinity parish, in which he resides.

Mr. King is naturally of a retiring disposition, and for this reason, has seldom featured in the public eye, but he has sound business ability - a very useful asset in the Chief Magistrate of a city, as has been emphasised in the case of the present Mayor - and is much esteemed by a large circle of friends, and may be relied upon to maintain the dignity and traditions of the important office, the responsibility of which he will this week take upon his shoulders.

*****

We are so pleased by Father's success, and as I told you, I have promised him and mother my support during this year in whatever way I can. I do feel that I have already made some small contribution as we, by appealing for women to come forward to vote, have succeeded in raising the total of women who did vote by a considerable number.

I feel so lost without your love and support.
Please let me know that you understand and still wish to marry me.

My sincere love from Muriel