VOTE FOR THOMSON.
FREETRADE AND DIRECT TAXATION.
THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILWAY.
NATIONAL OLD-AGE PENSIONS.
NATIONAL BANK OF ISSUE.
NATIONALISATION OF THE FEDERAL DISTRICT.
A CITIZEN ARMY.
THE REFERENDUM.
LEGISLATIVE DAY SITTINGS.
CROWN DEFENDER.
VOTE FOR THOMSON,
THE FREETRADE, LIBERAL, AND DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE.
VOTE FOR THOMSON
AND A WHITE AUSTRALIA.
“There was a ring of earnestness in Mr. J. A. Thomson’s speech that won many friends for him. He began well by disclaiming to be capable of oratory, but hoped rather to talk to his audience in plain commonsense terms and not in flowery sentences. The general opinion after the meeting was that he succeeded admirably, as his address was voted the most practical utterance yet delivered by any Federalist in Cue. The man who followed Roberts to Kandahar and battled with the Zulus at Rorke’s Drift is better qualified to speak on defence or war matters than the man who has only looked down a gun when snipe or duck shooting, because the ordinary English Tommy sees most of the game. Although not by any means ashamed of it, Thomson was too modest to tell the worker that he had lumped coal and had roughed it as ploughman in the cloggy sod of the Goulburn Valley in Victoria, where the Muddy Creek cocky roused him from his gentle slumber long before daylight while browsing round looking for a mythical bridle or hames-strap. Victorian cockies have a knack of hinting to their employees that it is time to get up by falling over them at unearthly hours while professing to be in search of some farm requirement. As a business man and the manager of one of the biggest trading organisations in the colony, he brought commercial training to bear on his arguments — a point his audience recognised. So that on the whole his remarks were only deserving of the fine handclap he received on concluding, and the general agreement that Thomson had made a ‘hit.’ The ‘Westralian Worker’ ‘hopes Thomson will be one of the successful Senatorial six.’ ‘Thim’s our sentiments too.’ ” — “Murchison Advocate.”
Source:
The West Australian Sunday Times, (Perth, WA), Sunday 24 March 1901, page 8
Editor’s notes:
Joseph A. Thomson (whose name appears in some places as Thompson) did not get elected to the Senate in the 1901 federal elections. The six elected received between 11,037 to 15,288 votes; Thomson was next in line with 9,249 votes. When Norman K. Ewing resigned from the Senate, Thomson declined the offer of taking up the seat, and Henry Saunders was appointed to the Senate instead.
References:
“1901 Senate”, Psephos: Adam Carr’s Election Archive [listed as Joseph Thompson] (accessed 23 October 2011)
“Candidates of the Australian federal election, 1901”, Wikipedia [listed as Joseph Thompson] (accessed 23 October 2011)
“Election of a Senator. Joint sitting of houses of parliament. Mr. H. J. Saunders appointed. A protest by Labour members.”, The West Australian (Perth, WA), Thursday 30 July 1903, page 5
The Institute of Australian Culture
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