Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-02-05
HANGING in THE BALANCE.
Both Sides Confident of Carrying the
Special Town Election-About Half OF
the Saloons Open.

Both Sides Confident of Carrying the
SpeciaI Town EIection-About Half of
the Saloons Open.
The special election to-day for town
clerk is not causing much excitement, al
though both sides are doing considerable
hustling. The weather was too cold for the
regulor election day gang and the only
place where crowds gathered this morning
was on the west side of Exchange place
which was shaded from the breezes and ex-
posed to the warm rays of the sun.
The republicans are using money freely.
One man was approached by a republican
heeler this morning and asked for whom
he was going to vote.
81 generally vote for whoever I please,
was the reply.
Eyes, but it will be SO in your pocket
if you vote and use your influence for the
right candidate" said the other.
The democrat became so indignant that
he did not wait to hear the details of the
proposed offer, but gave the republican
calling down that made him wish he was
in better business.
The location of the polling places is res
ponsible for the large vote in the second
ward. Most of the voters in the ward pass
by the green in going to and from their
work while in the other wards most of the
voters, especially the democrats, have to
go a mile or more out of their way to reach
the polls.
At 3 o'clock the vote was as follows:
First ward SO; second, 913; third, 800;
fourth, 921. The republican managers of
the second claim that the vote in this ward
will be over 1000 and that to win, the
fourth must poll 1, 800. This is offset by
the fact that many of the second ward re-
publicans are adverse to their nominee,
and the democratic nominee is being
pasted on their ticket, in older to prevent
the moderator from knowing whether the
voter placed anything but a republican
ballot. At this hour the democrats claim
to be ahead by the small margin of twenty.
1t was reported on the street that in the
event of the election being declared illegal
the seIectmen would endorse the candidate
receiving the largest number of votes.
When questioned regarding the matter by
a DEMOCRAT reporter Selectmen Pinney
and Boughton said they had received no
such proposition and refused to say what
action they would take in such an emer-
gency. Selectman McElligott said that if
the election is illegal the peoples choice
would probably be appointed by the select
men.
Most of the saloons in the city are in
full blast The proprietors are following
the advicei of their attorney. Several of
the larger places, however, took a careful
view of the situation and their doors are
closed. These are condemned by the
others, but the issue will tell whether they
were right or wrong. Prosecuting Agent
Holohan refused to talk, except to say that
he would do his duty. 1t is fact, how
ever, that the police on their different
beats have entered the open places and
taken the name and the number of the
license of each place. Attorney Holohan,
it is understood, although bringing COM
plants against each, will make a test case
of one. TIE open saloon keepers them
selves say that they do not know where
they are at.
At 3 o'clock the vote in the fourth ward
made things look brighter for the demo-
cratic candidate. The total vote was 1 ,O42
and the democrats felt confident of a ma
iority of six hundred in this ward.