About This Book
I'm only a common workin'-man, With a eye to my vittles an' beer, But afore I puts my money on Joe, There's a thing or two as I'd like to know, Which 'e 'asn't a-made quite clear. I admit as it sounds attractive-like For to shut them furriners out, But every Board School nipper knows As there's things wot only a furriner grows As we couldn't well do without. There's sugar, an' rice, an' cocoa-nibs, There's cawfy an' tea as well, As we never could raise, suppose we tried, And we 'as to buy 'em somewheres outside, And the furriners 'as to sell. But they don't give nothin' for nothinkâ€" Which you can't dispute the fac'â€" An' we're sending 'em hevery bit as much Of our cotton-goods, an' our coal, an' such, As 'll pay the beggars back.
