Lyr. Add: IRELAND BLOCKS THE WAY
Air: "Vive la compagne"

1
What Gladstone is to the working men
Is "Ireland blocks the way."
You must give him your votes, he says; and then
"Ireland blocks the way."
Chorus:
'Tis Ireland first, and Ireland last, and Ireland every day;
And the working man must shift as he can,
For "Ireland blocks the way."
2
He's in favour of this, in favour of that;
But "Ireland blocks the way,"
And naught he will do, he tells us flat
For "Ireland blocks the way."
3
Toiling millions may suffer wrong
While "Ireland blocks the way;"
They must wait, he says, be it never so long,
For "Ireland blocks the way."
4
We are fools if we wait at his request,
While "Ireland blocks the way,"
The "Union" leaders have served us best,
And they've nothing to block the way.
5
No "Ireland this," no "Ireland that," no Ireland every day
But they do what they can, for each honest man,
With nothing to block their way.
6
They have served us well in their six years' spell,
No Ireland blocked their way;
For Ireland's self they have governed so well
No longer it blocks the way.
7
Then Gladstone's train may plead in vain,
While "Ireland blocks the way;"
We know our friends, their way is plain,
They've nothing to block the way.
8
They do not prate of Ireland's wrongs, they sweep them all away
And do what they can for each honest man,
With nothing to block the way.

'Pub. by Liverpool Corn Trade News.
Ballads Cat., Johnson Ballads, 1854A, Bodleian Collection.

Use of "Vive la Compagne" for political parody.
No date, but Gladstone was a champion of the Home Rule Bill which would have established self-government for Ireland. He served 1868-74, 1880-85, 1886 and 1892-94; I would guess the broadside dates from 1875-1880, between his 1st and 2nd terms as prime minister, because six years of Union rule is mentioned.