Stripped of their grey fiannel pants (which were replaced by ones which matched their coats), their dirty shoes, and their bow ties, which were both also replaced with a view to obscuring any identification with their Alma Mater, eight Seniors joined local Republican Vote-chasers Tuesday afternoon by volunteering to resurrect countless sequestered but registered as Republicans by some all-pervading act of Providence or the Republican City Committee and drive them to the polls.
The disguise was suggested because of the fact that Harvard students campaigning for Republicans and for Plan to might endanger the future of those causes. As a matter of fact this step was an unnecessary precaution as was evidenced by the exclamation of one woman who was scanning the reams of political literature which was thrust into here hands by zealous admirers of one thing or another. One said "Defeat Wealthy Harvard's Brainchild--Plan E." "Hey, Pastl" she summoned her assiduous escort, "Who's dis guy Harvard?"
Harvard Not Running
It was easy to pass that one off by replying "Oh, he's not up for election." Questions like "Do I have to vote for only one? It would be so nice to give them all a chance," presented more serious difficulties, which, however, if insoluble, could be passed on to those in attitude was taken by an elderly woman who fortified herself by saying that "Curley has been in there too long. It was no use explaining that Hurley and Curley were not the same man.
The idea of the thing was that the Republican vote-checker at the polling place would give the volunteer a list showing all the registered voters by addresses. An "R" or a "D" showed which party they were registered under, and those who had already voted were checked off. The season was open for the other Republicans. You started canvassing at one end of the street and looked at the other with a longing eye. The longer the street the more longing the eye.
Cats for Curley
The doorbells were never labelled, and many of them seemed to be figure heads anyway, so it you wanted Bagdssar Gondolfe you just rang all at once, and you might get somebody, but it was rarely the one you wanted.
The person had often moved to a new home or was not in. One old man came to the door and eyed the visitor with a sea going against. Asked it he were Josephus Tootle he replied "Oi'm Curley man!" He had not corked up the door sufficiently with his legs, unfortunately, and before this enlightening interview had ended, 26 assorted children and cats had flowed through the openings and down the steps. They dissolved in to the atmosphere as quickly as they had come and the patriarch speak majestically "Dose my children. Dey Curley men, too," and shut the door. He rolled his "R's" beautifully.
Oh Thaltenberg, My Thaltenberg
An old lady with arthritis lived on Brookline Street and had a name that began with a V and looked as well back-wards as it did forwards. She finally decided that it was she whom they were looking for and hobbled in to the back seat. She interrupted the campaign fight talk by saying. "I know, I know! I'm thpothed to wote for Thalberg, I mean Thaltenberg. He'th a good man. I always wote for the Wepublicanth. They alwayth good men." She was given an already marked ballot for safety, however, to guide her. In the polls she took the unmarked ballot dropped the marked one in the box without looking at it, and started out. After a lot of bickering things were straightened out. When asked how she voted on Plan E, she said "If he wath a Wepublican I woted for him."
So this is universal suffrage
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