Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-10-06
UNCERTAINTY AND ANXIETY.

The Annual Election and Incidents
 Connected With It-Scratching and
 PastinE on the Democratic side.
 The annual town, city and school elections are being held to-day and it is safe to say that there never was such anxiety and uncertainty over a local election as there is over the contest that is now on. It is said that considerable pasting and scratching is being done by democrats, the leading candidates on the town ticket being the principal sufferers. Very few democrats are voting the straight republican ticket, all reports to the contrary notwithstanding.
 The secret ballot system is having another trial, and although the features of the law have been explained times without number, there are many who even now are not thoroughly familiar with it's provisions. One man, and he was not an illiterate democrat, either, acknowledged that he had placed his three tickets in the envelope. The bene- fits derived from the secret ballot are not quite clear. Very true each voter must retire into the privacy of a cell to arrange his ballots, but there are so many loopholes for fraud that the object of the law is defeated. Under the new system the goods may not be delivered, after votes have been paid for. Two democrats who paid an early visit to the republican camp this morning could not be induced to vote afterwards. This in itself is suspicious.
 One man was around this morning peddling democratic tickets with the name of Edgar w. Pinney pasted over that of Frederick J. Brown. He was given the option of calling in the tickets or being arrested under the pro- visions of the secret ballot law. James F. Doolan was said to have finger in the same pie. Afterwards he asked to be assigned work by the democratic town committee but was informed that his services were not required.
 The voting was light up to noon, but the democratic leaders were sanguine of success. The best part of the republii- can vote is always in by noon, they say, while the democratic rush begins at 12 o'clock. Many good republicans re- pudiated the action of the leaders in placing a democrat at the head of their town ticket, by staging at home.
 It was reported this morning that the members of the Rose Hill Social club were working against John $. Fay, the democratic candidate for first assessor. An officer of the club called at this office and requested us to state that the rumor was wholly without foundation.
 John c. Thompson, superintendent of the aims house, was arrested by Officer Dean this afternoon on a warrant issued by Prosecuting Attorney Burpee, charged with assaulting Henry Howe. a member of the Jeffersonian club. Howe alleges that Thompson entered the clubs headquarters on Scovill street, seized him by the throat and threatened to do him up. He made a complaint to the prosecuting attorney and a warrant was issuedg MrTRompsons was accom- panied to the station house lay a bonds. man, and does. not anticipate any serious results. .'.,r-.iV'u@ U, ..,.l. ,s:,.,,,,
 DAfteF 9 o'clock tlle ,democratic vote in the fourth ward began to make itself felt, and at press hour it looks as' if the total vote would be as large as that cast a year ago.
 At 2:3O o'clock over 2,50O votes had been cast, and the following estimate was made by a democratic leader