‘Rival Saints’ The Bulletin, 2 May 1903.

‘Rival Saints’ The Bulletin, 2 May 1903.

Budget, Federation, Livingston Hopkins aka ‘Hop’ (1846-1927), Manifesto, New South Wales, NSW politics, politics, sainthood, saints, sanctity, showmanship, Sir George Reid (1845-1918), Sir Joseph Carruthers (1856-1932), stained glass, taxation.

This 1903 Bulletin cover by Hop, which lampoons NSW politicians Sir George Reid (the Freetrade advocate) and Sir Joseph Carruthers (illustrated here holding a copy of his reform policy), draws on medievalism by depicting them as saints in stylised medieval stained glass windows. The figure on the left, Sir George Reid, is monocled, generously rotund, and wearing a walrus moustache. He was at various times the NSW Premier, Australian Prime Minister, and in later years, Australian High Commissioner. Although the cartoon depicts him openly displaying the word Federation on his ample frontage, he is generally regarded as having been somewhat ambivalent about its future (W. G. McMinn, 'Reid, Sir George Houstoun (1845–1918)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/reid-sir-george-houstoun-8173). Elsewhere in the same issue, The Bulletin takes Sir Joseph Carruthers’ Manifesto, which he is shown holding here, to task, dismissing it because “There is not a word about taxation, not a word about borrowing, nor about spending loan money” (See The Bulletin, 2 May, 1903, p.9). Hop’s cartoon suggests that neither of these figures is deserving of the recognition of sainthood, regardless of their titles, bluster, and showmanship.

Livingston Hopkins (‘Hop’)

The Bulletin

The Bulletin

2 May 1903 (Cover)

Public Domain

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