THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: East Tyrone election candidate publishes address in News Letter

Ulster was in the grip of election fever this week in 1892 and had been the established rule down through the years that the News Letter had been published candidates published their election addresses in the columns of the paper.

One such candidate was Mr T L Corbett who wrote from Red House, Strathearn Hill, London, to the electors of East Tyrone.

He wrote: “As the chosen standard-bearer of the Unionist Party in East Tyrone, I need scarcely assure you that I shall, if elected, do all in my power to prevent the calamity of Home Rule from blighting the brightening prospects of peace and prosperity which are largely the fruit of the wise administration of the past six years.”

Mr Corbett continued: “In my judgment a separate Parliament in Dublin would not only be a danger and disaster to the Empire, but would result in confusion, chaos and civil war in Ireland. The establishment of such a Parliament would mean the expulsion of Ireland from her Imperial partnership with England and Scotland at Westminster, and would degrade her to the level of a mere Crown colony.”

He added: “Conscious of my responsibility, I can promise that if elected as your representative, I shall devote all my time and energies, free from the trammels of business or professional engagement, to your service, and shall ever be ready with voice and vote to defend the rights and promote the interests of those whom I shall be proud to call my constituents.”

Corbett lost to William James Reynolds of the Irish National Federation.