Omaha daily bee., 1888-11-07
BATTLE OF THE BALLOTS,
1t Ends in the Downfall of the Bor-
der Ruff1au.
A STRONG REPUBLICAN VOTE.
Returns Meagre-How the Night Was
Spent and Election News
Received from The
East.
Election Day.

autumn. The sun shone brightly and warmly,
thus acting fairly by both parties, in admir-
able keeping with the manner in which the
campaign on both sides had been conducted.
Nobody was deferred from adventuring
abroad. On the contrary, large crowds
of people surrounded the polls from early
morning, and in some instances, notably
the third precinct, when time was called
not less than a thousand people surrounded
the voting place. Every facility was afforded
voters to attend the polls. Many of the fac
tories closed down, and IN hundreds OF the
stores employees were given Il half holiday to
deposit their ballots. The vote as a conse-
quence reached $1,000, the heaviest ever
| polled in the city.
Beyond the good-natured contest be-
tween rival partisans there was moth
ing to render the day remark
able. There was considerable variety
in the ticket, the extras being composite ones
made up of the democratic and republican
nominees with a sprinkltng OF union labor
and the prohibition. Neither of the side is
sues attracted great attention., the working
men, through their representatives, several
days ago, having decided to put no ticket
into the field. The prohibition ticket had
workers in every district, but they availed
but little. The members of the older
parties almost disdainiug to notice it, al
though some months ago, when the prohl-
bitiou convention was held in this city, hun
| VI 'iioli IicbN w ~ ,iiSii 'oIPo'
The most noticeable event of the day was
the opposition to William Leese, the repub-
lican candidate for attorney general. This
was open and earnest, and the result
of a combine Of certain iobbcrs OF
this city and the railroad managers of the
state. The combine met several nights ago
and decided to antagonize Leese's candidacy.
The ground upon which this determination
was based was his alleged hostility to the
railroads and the injury he had done to
Omaha in endeavoring to make them
comply with obligations to the
people. Committees were appointed to
work at the polls against Mr.. Leese
and these committees faithfully lived up to
the obligations assumed They even secured
assistance in a number of hireiings, though
they failed most signally i'll attempting to Sc
cure all the travelling men of the houses in
question, many Of whom rebelled against the
cut-throat work. The result of this con-
spiracy will be seen in the impaired vote
which is credited to MIR. Leese.
The peace of the city was undisturbed, the
only arrests made being those of u couple Of
young men in the Ninth ward for alleged il
legal voting and a couple of colored persons
in the Third ward who became boistrous over
a Doodle ticket which was sprung in the af-
ternoon.
At the Iub
The Samoset club received the returns
last night, and by means of a stereopticou
threw them upon a sheet hung in front of it's
windows. The enlarged figures were
watched by a large crowd in the street. In
side the bulletins were read by Billy Moran,
who had to mount u chair to get his tenor
treble high enough, and Charles Ogden
marked the slides for the stereopticon.
Fifty to sixty of the faithful were In the hall
early in the evening, but by half-past nine
they had dwindled to q mere handful, who
read the news over the operators shoulders
as he wrote the bulletins.
The social clubs We're the center of In
usual interest last night. Arrangement
each Club was provided with a temporary
telegraph Office and an operator to snatch the
news hot from the wire. "W-e-f-e-ll-ows-
o-f-t-h-e -c-l-u-b'' were out in full force,
and 'tstayed there'' most industriously. AT
the Union club the parlor had been cleared
of all its furniture but a row of chairs on
three sides of the room.
President Colpetzer had a half-dozen cords
stretched along the east wall, to which the
bulletins were attached for the benefit OF
late Corners after their contents had been
announced by Mr., John II. Grossman. The
seating capacity of the room was taxed, but
the news was received without demonstra
ton. The members Of Union are too old and
staid to allow their dignity to be compromised
but they naturally drew up their chairs in
groups and discussed the returns with sober
carnestness. The card, billiard and dining
rooms held each a small quote, but the news
room was the strongest magnet.
The Elks club wore an air of animation
A few billiards were rolled, u card table oil
two was In play, but the chairs here ant
there were occupied and O number of groups
stood about the bulletins. The latter wer,
handled by Thomas Cotter and George Eddy
who pasted them. upon a big piece of sheetinl
stretched over a wooden frame. The reader!
were mostly. young men, who gave an oc
caused some of the players to run into tn,
big front room, or at least to look up with
one or two mild Interrogation points in their
eyes.
posted upon strings stretched along the wal
of the lobby. They were surrounded by
group of gentlemen ranging in ag,
from adolescence to old age, ant
confined space. The observers were rest
less, moving in and around and about, a'
though the election of a president was only
titful distraction. The card and billiard
rooms We're full to overhowing, and the clut
was in full social swing, which seemed toe
absorbing TO be interrupted.
AT the Hotels.
At the close of the polls the crowds re
manned as though the result would be mad
known at once, but gradually they realize,
that it would not, and slowly scattered
The streets then were enlivened by thos
that had fought the battle, as the
lolntt tne CfOWu tutU pTOCe6uel
forth from the stores and factories
Some went no farther than the neares
saloons, but others sought their much
needed refreshment at home. BY half pas
g the streets We're again comparatively dc
serted, but it was only for q short time
Seven o'clock found them fastening to lear
the earliest news. Bv 8 o'clock only thos
saloons that were recognized as the head
quarters of the workers" were patronizeG
and in their place, the windows of the telt
graph offices and other news centers wer
+ the principal attractions. Early corners glue
their faces to the window panes and Gale
out 1.-THE latest" to the passer-by, who listenc
for n moment and then, if among the il
!, itiated, hurried to the party headquarters
: Soon the results were flashed out, and cheer
and counter cheers greeted each item of IL
telligence, while in the less frequente
streets a struggling voter who had lost n
9 bearings would cheer back all by himsel
ana in sympathy with som party whom h
, didn't know.
= The hotels Were the scene of more or les
/, excitement. Down at the Barker the wire
. worked unceaeingly for the benefit of tn
guests and those who wished to dro
in and learn the news. General
it was Of sufficient importance to make tn
hearer seize his hat and rush for some otht
place to have it confirmed. The Willard r
! ceiyed its news in its rotunda. The Murra
divided honors with the republican club roo
across the way on Fourteenth street and r
N 49, a -.