Archbishop O'Reilly's Election Anecdotes

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 2, 14 January 1904, Page 29

Archbishop O'Reilly's Election Anecdotes

The Archbishop of Adelaide told some amusing and instructive election stories in the course of the addresses which he delivered at school speech days last week( says the ' Southern Cross ' of December 23). At the distribution of prizes at the Sisters of St. Joseph's School, Beulah-road, his Grace said^ .it was necessary, now women could record their votes, that they should be intelligent and well educated. Some years ago, about the time when the franchise was first given to women in South Australia, there was an election in Adelaide, and party feeling ran high. Four or five candidates had offered their services, and two had to be returned. Among the supporters of one party, who were anxious that their ' man ' should be chosen, was an old lady. As she had not bean used to elections, close attention was paid to her political education. She was told to vote for A and B, not for C, D, or E, and to put a cross after the names of two first mentioned. Lesson after lesson was given her, and certain members of the party walked to the polling place with her, their last injunction being : ' Maggie, now be careful.' When she came out of the booth she said she was quite sure she had voted for A and B, but in answer to further inquiries stated, ' I am certain I voted for them, because I gave a vote to everybody.' Men also were in need of education, and proof of this was supplied in connection with Wednesday's election. Dr. O'Reil'y said he Knew an old man wtu could neither read nor write, and when accosted on Vecr.esday morning, thi& person, whose name wi.s J"ii. ■-aid lie was going \n record his vote Jim stated ihat lie Wrts sure that, although there were eight candidates, he must put i cioss opposite only three names. ' But how can you tell for whom you are going to voto ?' he wis asked by the Archbishop, and the reply lie gave was, 'It does not matter. I have got the right to \otc, and I am going to exercise it.' ' And so he did,' said Archbishop O'Reilly, ' and this morning he did not know for whom he had voted ' The laughter that followed the anecdotes indicated that those present understood more about elections than ' Maggie ' or ' Jim.' At the breaking-up of the Sisters of Mercy, An gas street, the Archbishop told another election story which had come under his knowledge No matter what they learnt from books and figures, they must, his Grace remarked, have common sense, and that was acquired in the larger and wider school of life He would guarantee the accuracy of this story. Some three years ago, when the elections were on and political zeal ran veiy high, an old man and his wife lived somewhere near Adelaide. He must not tell the suburb. The man's name was Mick, and his wife's name was Mary. Unfortunately, Mick was in favor of X , while Mary was in favor of Y. Day after day they had disputes and arguments. At length the morning came to vote, and Mary said, ' Mick, we have never quarrelled in our lives, and we ore not going to quarrel, over Mr. X. or Mr. Y. I will \ote for Mr. X ' Mary went to the poll, and when she came back she informed her husband that she had voted for Mr. X. ' I don't believe you,' said Mick. ' You're always suspicious,' replied Mary. ' I thought you would not believe me, so I brought the ballot paper home with me ' Flourishing it before her husband, "Mary cried triumphantly, ' Now, do you believe me, Mick ? ' (Laughter ) They must try to use a little common sense with their learning.