“The Victim of Red Tape” from “Fun” (1893)

The Victim of Red Tape

John Gordon Thomson (1841-1911), artist

Dalziel, engraver

Fun 57-58 (13 May 1882): 183

Macliver:— “Is this your patent improved method of paying pensions?”

Childers:— “Very sorry, my dear, I asure you. Can’t understand it at all.”

See below for poem on following page

Courtesy of the Suzy Covey Comic Book Collection in the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit theUniversity of Florida library and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

The Victim of Red Tape

(See Cartoon)

the man who in his country’s cause,
        Has given faithful aid,
And with a pension for his pains
        Upon the shelf is laid,
May reasonably hope it will
        Be regularly paid. [16]

But if on such a whole as that
        He pinned his simple trust,
It seems he not improbably
        Learn to his disgust
How civil service clerks say "Shan’t,"
        When claimants say "you must."

For in the worship of routine
        Those those clerks their soul outpour
And mercy, even Justice too,
        Must wait outside the door,
If they call earlier than ten,
        Or anything past four.

Wherefore one needs must wish their god
        Would take a different shape
Since pensioners from nature's laws
        Have no way to escape –
Living by means of yellow gold,
        But starving on Red Tape.

Last modified 1 April 2016