Leon Walton Young had been in the House of Assembly for 30 years. He first sat as a representative in 1912, two years before the start of World War I.
As a seasoned politician, Young had seen a lot the things, dealt with a lot of people, jumped many hurdles. He survived in an era when not just a few cards, but the entire deck, even the whole game, had long been stacked against people like him.
Young was the senior representative for the Eastern District of New Providence, going into the 1942 General Elections. He lost his seat in 1942.
In 1949, L. W. Young was almost 73 years old, when he decided to run for the Assembly, one last time.
At a levee held in Fox Hill, in April 1949, all four candidates, seeking to win the two available seats for the Eastern District, were speaking.
Present were the two seated representatives Wilfred G. Cash (senior representative), and Roland T. Symonette (junior representative). Also present were Etienne Dupuch and L. W. Young making their addresses to the crowd.
The House of Assembly had a 7 year life and all candidates ran as Independent. There were no political parties in 1949. Only men, who owned property, were allowed to vote. Companies were allowed to vote. So if a man owned a company, he could cast a vote, for however many companies he owned. Evening House sessions were the norm. This allowed representatives to attend their private jobs and businesses.
Roland T. Symonette and Etienne Dupuch won in 1949.
Leon Walton Young, faced a hostile audience, as he campaigned. He withdrew his candidacy and did not run.
Fox Hill, April 1949
Mr. Young said that he was not ashamed of his age, almost 73 years, because he could still do hard work and not because he was compelled to.
“A man could not be a fool to be a politician, because a politician must deal with all types of people. A politician must be a Christian and a crook.”
Leon Walton Young, April 1949
A conscientious representative in the House had no easy job. During his 7 years out of the House he had been better able to look after his own interests. Representatives must be told what their constituents wanted if they were to represent them properly.
He was a candidate in the coming elections because certain people had asked him to give them the opportunity to elect him. He had never asked anyone to vote for him and would not so so now, nor would he give anyone money to do so.
Leon Walton Young, April 1949
He felt that campaigning had begun too early, and it was not fair to present representatives who were also candidates that they must give service in the House and protect their seats against their rivals at the same time.
Mr. Young gave Winston Churchill, who was 74 and yet expected to be again Premier of England, as an example of what could be accomplished by the aged. He urged voters of Fox Hill and all the districts to use their franchise wisely at election time not to retard the Colony’s development by returning bad representatives.
