Annotation:Tupper's Defeat
TUPPER'S DEFEAT. Canadian, Reel (cut time). Canada, Nova Scotia. B Flat Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. "Tupper's Defeat" was composed by dairy farmer, miller, fiddler and sometime book binder James Barry (1812-1905) of Pictou County, Nova Scotia. The tune caries the date June 23rd 1896. Longstanding Nova Scotia politician Sir Charles Tupper (1821-1915) was a member of the Conservative party who served as Canadian prime minister for the shortest term (68 days) of any of the Canadian PM's. He was defeated by Sir Wilfred Laurier in the election of 1896, though Tupper retained control of the party. He ran again in 1900 and was again defeated, after which he retired.
We can perhaps surmise that Barry, a fellow Nova Scotian, was a Tupper supporter, but the tune is a sprightly reel, so perhaps not. There are no other tune titles in his ms. that might indicate his political leanings.
