The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-04
THE CIGARS DID 1T
WOMEN SEE HOW THEIR SCHOOL
CANDIDATE WAS BEATEN.
The SUN Was Going Down and
Dir. Appel Had Two Boxes Left
Amusing Experiences.

down a document which stated that she
would not be present, and that no reporters
were to be admitted. Mrs. +. w. Chislett,
the vice president, occupied the chair. Re-
ports were called for, but few were forth
coming One church organization resigned
membership and new society was ac-
cepted for membership. There was a long
discussion as TO whether the local council
should adjourn for the summer, and it was
finally decided that there should not be
adjournment, but that the officers of the
society could call meetings for important
business.
MIS-. Josephine r. Nichols, who was a
worker for a woman on the School Board
at the recent election, read a report
of her election day experiences. She told
Of the small briberieS which the men pol
iticians practiced to win votes for their
candidates, and of how Mr.. Appel had his
box Of cigars with him, and when a vote
was offered TO the voter cigar was slipped
in the voters pocket. 1t was said that $40
was spent for beer for the voters in that
district the evening before election, and
various other matters which are against
the law were practiced The men carried
the day.
"As it decided she continued, Eat
the June meeting of the local council that a
committee should be arranged for to go to
the polls on election day and do what was
possible to elect our candidate for school
commissioner, a meeting was called at the
house of the chairman to ascertain who
would serve the committee and to di-
vide the work so that certain number
would be present all the time without max
ing the work a burden upon anyone. Those
who had experience in such smatterS Sug-
gested that it would be best to have only
women who lived in the Eleventh district
TO represent the council at the polls while
1t would be well TO have as many women
present as were willing to come. AT this
meeting but one woman who lived in the
district, beside the candidate, attended. A
few others outside the district came, and
while they would not accept places on the
regular force for the day, said they would
do what they could if called upon. The
plan adopted was to have four ladies serve
for two hours at a time, making relays OF
this kind to do the work from o'clock in
the morning until 6 o'clock in the evening
The plan seemed feasible; the difficult part
was to find the women. The chairman
made a canvass in the district far
possible in a day and a half. asking women
to take part in the work. and by securing
ton of a Woman's Relief Corps which she
attended In company with Mrs. Jenckes,
the list was made out for the day. On the
morning of election day word was brought
TO the chairman between and o'clock
that no woman was present at the polling
place, no carriages were there TO be used
and that when the polls had been opened
the tickets for cadidate were not in
sight: Upon going to the place with an
ent in the afternoon, but who was SO much
interested that found her preparing to go
when / called for her l found the gentle
men who had promised to be there and as
sist on hand with the tickets and at work,
but the ladies who were to be present from
to 10 o'clock had not arrived and no car
riages were on hand to use for candi-
date, although there were vehicles of all
kinds being used with great diligence for
the men candidates. In a little while two
of the ladies for that time came, and
manned through the forenoon, handing tick
cts TO those who came along Fourth street
and otherwise assisting. During the day
several Of the women arrived who had
pledged themselves to be present, but at no
time was there the full complement of the
force as had been planned.
THE president of the council was on hand
for time in the. forenoon, and most of
the afternoon, aiding and directing and
using her carriage TO bring persons for
whom il was necessary to send, and when
it was suggested in the afternoon that more
women should be present, brought some
who had not been on the list, but who
came cam to help on being solicited to do SO;
wagons were telephoned for to livery sta
BILE, and were employed during the day TO
bring 10 the polls persons who could not
of time, and some who would not other
noon it was decided that it would be we'll
to have our candidate present, and
soon after noon she was brought down,
and remained until the close.
''rhe work done at the polls was chiefly
to hand tickets TO voters as they passed
d
in favor of our candidate TO those who
were uncertain as to how they would vote.
1t was soon found that the vote for our
candidate was by the intelligent class, both
black and white, and this was the case
all day. 1t was made up OF class OF
voters who thought for themselves. who
could read and write, who could not be
bought or bribed, and who represented the
most advanced thought upon all public in
terests. AS such it a real triumph, not
only being a confirmation of the wisdom
of the plan of offering woman candI-
date for an important position, but a trib-
ute to the eligibility of the woman NOM
mated for the place; for, in the midst of
struggle between elements IN when some
fact that there should be so many INTEL
ligent philosophical citizens vote for our
candidate proved that 1t was not merely
because it was a woman to be elected but
because that woman was better FITTED by
culture education, experience and good
business qualifications, well a dis
interested public spirit, to do better work
on the School Board than either of the
'The experience at the polls was rev.
eation to the women who attended. The
eral elections now. so that the same ole
methods were used that prevailed former
ly at presidential and other elections. From
early morning it was evident that it was to
be an unprecedented fight and that no stone
vas TO be left unturned to gain a victory
by the men candidates, although but one
seemed TO be employing the irregular meth
DDS of bribing with cigars. a young man
b beng ip Po the voters for this eanddate He
had a box under his arm and was en-
ployed in distributing them as necessary,
and at one time of the gentlemen
aiding us came, saying it was no use to
try and fight against such odds, for Mr..
Appel still had two boxes of cigars in the
schoolhouse, and it was then late in the
day. y large number who voted for this
candidate were colored workmen, many of
whom could not read. They were brought
in the wagons from their work in the
sewers or wherever they might be. and
as they were Lnloaded and were rushed
under guard up to the ballot box it was
seen that each held in his hand a ballot,
and in his mouth or fingers often the I'M
lighted cigar with which he had been
bribed or secured. If we offered tickets
to these men as they passed
many of them held them upside
down, showing inability to read, and there
fore ignorance of who they were really
glass of beer the wav being all they
knew about the matter. OF course IL was
impossible to try and cope with such
methods these. AS early as o'clock
on election day a colored man called
Mrs Jencl1es and DR.. Jenckes, who stated
that he offered 10 bring a crowd of col
ored men TO vote for her if enough money
beer and cigar. stating also how much
would be required. DR.. JenckeS referred
him the chairman of the committee at
the polls. and later In the day he came
with the same proposition to me, and at
the close, as L walked home, followed me.
claiming that as he had spent a good deal
of time in going about contradicting the
turn out all the colored teachers and put
the cOlored children into separate build
ings at the schools. he ought TO have at
least enough to buy a pair of shoes An