Dawn Fraser: Echoes From Labor's War

Tell My Friend the Prison Warden
I Hadn't Time to Call

(Sung by Malcolm Bruce)

Bruce's trial, or hearing, was almost laughable. The representatives of the capitalist press, summoned to substantiate their previous re-ports, now presented a pitiful sight. They labored to shift responsibility from one to another, and their evidence consisted of a mess of "I heard that he heard", and "He heard that I heard", until the magistrate threw up his hands and the next day dismissed the case altogether. It was a great victory for Bruce, and representing the labor press at the hearing, we reported the case in this manner:

 Dear Bell: I will not ask for space
To cover such a feeble case,
Nor should I take the readers' time
To bore them with my roughneck rhyme;
A few good laughs and I am done—
Oh, Tom, me boy, ain't we got fun?
You tell them all about the law,
Leave me alone to laugh haw-haw.
Six men from different parts of town,
All summoned, mind you, by the crown,
Stood up, and each one swore in turn
As how he hoped some day to burn,
If on that Sunday in the hall
He heard Bruce say "them things" at all.
I marked the smile on every face—
The crown was building quite a case?

One witness don't remember where
He really was—but he was there—
Could not remember every word,
But someone said he overheard
That someone said he knew a man—
'Twas thus the story wildly ran
Till we were dizzy in the head
From "someone said that someone said."
I'll tell you, Tom, what someone said—
"We've got to get this dangerous Red;
Everything is working nice—
Cut him down at any price.
Besco has too much at stake—
Horrors! if the slaves awake!
Make some pretext, find some excuse—
We got to silence Malcolm Bruce."

But, bon voyage, Malcolm, on your way,
We hope you come another day,
And Malcolm, if you come again,
We won't invite you to the pen,
Or take such rare exceeding pains
To wrap you up in prison chains;
When next you speak it well might be
On eastern hospitality.
Alas, alas, our island fame—
I weep o'er old Cape Breton's shame.

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