'Labby's' Retort to Kipling.
Labouchere, in Truth, replies to Eudyard Kipling's poem, 'The White Man's Burden.' The parody is perhaps better than the original. Pile on the brown man's burden To gratify your greed ; Go, clear away the 'niggers ' Who progress would impede ; Be very stern, for truly Tis useless to be mild With new caught, sullen peoples, Half devil and half child. Pile on the brown man's burden, And if you rouse his hate, Meet his old fashioned reasons With Maxims up to date; With shell and dum dum bullets, A hundred times make plain The brown man's loss must ever Imply the white man's gain. Pile on the brown man's burden, Compel him to be free ; Let all your manifestoes Reek with philanthiopy, And if with heathen folly He dares your will dispute, Then in the name of freedom, Don't hesitate to shoot. Pile on the brown man's burden, And if his cry be sore, That surely need not irk you, You've driven slaves before ; Seize on his ports and pastures, The fields his people tread ; Go, make with them your living, And mark them with his dead. Pile on the brown man's burden, Nor do not deem it hard If you should earn the rancor Of those ye yearn to guard ; The screaming of your Eagle Will drown the victim's sob — Go on through fire and slaughter, There's dollars in the job. Pile on the brown man's burden, And through the world proclaim That ye are freedom's agents — There's no more paying game ; And should your own past history Straight in your teeth be thrown, Eetort that independence Is good for whites alone. Pile on the brown man's burden, With equity have dont. Weak antiquated scruples Their squeamish course have run; And though 'tis freedom's banner You're waving in the van, Eeserve for home consumption The sacred ' Eights of Man.' And if, by chance, ye falter, Or lag along the course, If, as the blood flows freely, Yg feel some slight remorse, Hie ye to Eudyard Kipling Imperialism's prop, And bid him for your comfort Turn on his Jingo stop.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WDA18990520.2.10
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Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 52, 20 May 1899, Page 4
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353'Labby's' Retort to Kipling. Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 52, 20 May 1899, Page 4
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