Evening journal., 1888-12-12
WOMEN AT THE POLLS.
Novel Scenes at Boston's Mu.
nicipal Election.
PEDDLING VOTES IN THE RAIN.

Most Of Them Act MS II It were 10 New
Thing-The school Question Was the
Issuo-Mnyor O'Brlen Defeated for Re-
observation-disclosures of the Day.
BosTov, Dec II 1T rainei steadily all day,
from the opening OF tho polls 20 the closing
thereof. Despite this the women OF Boston
wearing gossamers, goloshes and looks of
firm determination, hocl,ed to the ward
rooms 20 exercise their man given right Of
suffrage by voting for members OF the school
board This right they have had for some
years, but not until this year have they had
any general desire TO exercise IT,
cry was raised in tho fall that the Catho-
lies were trying 90 gain complete control of
the Boston schools This started the excite
mont The Protestants began registering in
,rdor to vote against having any Catholics
~ the school hoard Then the Catholic wo-
non registered 10y the thousands 70 offset the
'rotestants' votes and yesterday the battle
'aged. To begin with, the women voted
sarly Tho polls opened at z, and in nearly
every precinct the first voter was a woman.
Half of the total vote cast by the women
was in before l0..A Thon, too, they voted
rapidly, intellgpntly and with as much
knowledge o just what 20 do as the average
man. This was largely owing 20 the fact
thnt there have actually been meetings held
aud lectures givcn for instruction ON this
very point
Tho women came 70 the polling places In
litto groups of half dozen neighhors. iu
company Of some one who knew what 10 do
Occasionally man and wife walked arm ia
arm, but this was the exception. At the
polling places everything was orderly. Not
a ease of interference with women having
business at the polls has been reported. On
the contrary, women, whether appearing 10
vote or distribute ballots, were received with
respect and all needed assistance given them
In Ward Is the registration Of women has
been unusually heavy, and during the fore
noon they were in the majority in The ward
rooms At Precinct Of Ward rs the women
were enthusiastic The men had no show at
nil, The fair creatures filed the room. and
their white silk badges waved, like the plume
of Henry Of Navarro, wherever the battle
waged the warmest Evidently the women
were not wholly in accord, for one was over
heard scolding because another woman was
paddlng Marshall stickers with which 70
paste Miss Hastings nnme
Ward II is on the Back Bay, tho aristo-
cratic and wealthy section Of the city. Here
the woman vote was exceptionally large
more than half of those registered having
dunned their gossamers and cast their little
say for school committee before 10 o'clock
They seemed, on the whole, 20 know Just
about whnt to do, although one who wa,
noticed casting her ballot Ia Precinct
asked three straight questions before dar
ing 70 place her ballot In the strip
"Whnt does the bell ring forr The wardal
1 told her "What do the numbers IN the from
meanF Again an answer. where does N,
vote go when you turn the crankM The war
den looked at her nskance, but finally told
her after which she carefully placed hel
maiden tshe was 40 vote ia the slip, watohe,
It disappear, looked at the figures 70 SEQ 4
she had been added 10 the number, aud wen
away contented. In Ward 20 among tn,
many split tickets was one labeled "Regulai
Republican ticket but bearing the name
Of the Democratic candidates for school com
mittee. The ladies asked innocently il sucl
doings could not be stopped, but alas, tn
old ward roundeis were obliged to say tina
they could not under the present system o
voting
The result Of tho mnyoralty election wa
the deposition Of Mayor Hugh O'Brien
/ Democrat, after holding the Office Tor fou
terms His successor Is Thomas n Hart,
| Republican The vote was: Hart (Rap.
| 81, 100; OiBrien DEM 3O,S4s, a Republican
majority Of i,9l2 This is the first time Ii
many years that the municipal gpvernmen
has been controlled by Republicans
No less than sixteen different tickets wer
in the field for school board, and the coun
is not complete. Il is probable, however
that Republican school board is elected,
majority Of which is Protestants The exac
number Of women who cast ballot canno
be stated, but It Is estimated that OF th
5000 women who registered no less tina
20O00 voted Seven Of the twelve alderme
are Republicans, and the common counc
will be about tie.