Political meetings at Carnock,Cairneyhill and Torryburn

Dunfermline Saturday Press 13 March 1880

Leaving Saline [that is leaving the previous meeting at Saline], the Honourable R Preston Bruce proceeded to Carnock, where he addressed a large meeting in the schoolroom – Mr Robert Seton being chairman. Mr Bruce spoke on Home Rule, and the way in which the Government appealed to the country on this point, and characterised the Government’s foreign policy as costly. meddlesome, arrogant and ineffectual. As to Turkey, he said it was bankrupt, corrupt and helpless, and more in a demoralised condition than when the war began.

The next meeting was at Cairneyhill, where there was a large attendance. Reverend Mr Moir presided, and made an eloquent speech in introducing Mr Bruce, whose address was mainly taken up in pointing out some of the defects in Captain Oswald’s address to the electors, and of Lord Beaconsfield’s statement that the foreign affairs of the country would not be safe in the hands of the Liberals.

The last meeting for the day was at Torryburn, which was also largely attended. Mr Halley, Newmills, occupied the chair, and Mr Bruce’s address was chiefly taken up with an account of the Zulu War, which he condemned, and of the domestic subjects which had been neglected by the Government during their term of office. He (Mr Bruce was anxious to deal with the publicans in perfect fairness, as he recognised that they carried on a trade perfectly legitimate; and if any valuable interest of theirs was to be taken from them for the benefit of the community, he held that they were entitled to compensation.

A motion was unanimously passed at the three places that Mr Bruce was a fit and proper person to represent the county.

[In 1880 there was a UK General Election. Robert Preston Bruce was a British Liberal Party politician and was a Fife MP from 1880 to 1889].