The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-13
FALL OF THE BALLOTS.
Republicans Began to Lose Hope Ear
Iy in the Day.


The voting in the First ward was slow
all day. except in one or two precincts. In
the precincts in Brightwood the vote stood
at 3 o'clock as follows: Republican, 80;
Democratic, 80, and scattering, 4, as near
as could be learned. Only 1872 of the 2S9
votes in the Eighth precinct had been cast
at $3.50 in the afternoon. Other precincts
were slow in getting in the votes. In the
Twelfth precinct the vote, at 4 o'clock,
showed ITO Republican to 6S Democratic.
These had been coming in very slowly all
day. The Republicans had large major
ity in the Fourteenth precinct, where the
score of votes was 122 to 81 At no pre-
cinct was the voting very brisk. The voters
also remained for some time in the booths,
showing that scratching was in vogue.
In the Second precinct of the Second
ward. at 4 o'clock the Republicans had
1852 and the Democrats Sc votes. The Third
precinct is the largest in the State, there
being 37S votes in it. At o'clock the vote
stood, according to the poll book. 22' Re
publican to Sc Democratic. The Fourth
precinct at o'clock, showed majority
of SO votes for Harding. The Sixth, Sew
enth and Eighth precincts went strong for
Harding. There was only one case of
challenging in the Thirteenth precinct
That was a white man who had recently
moved to the city. He was required to
make an affidavit that he had resided in
the ward sixty days. In the Fourteenth
precinct the vote, at 2 o'clock, stood 1876 Re
publican and SO Democratic Throughout
this ward the voting was very light, men
dropping in every now and then to vote
but at no time or place was there a rush
of voters.
The Third ward precincts showed varying
results at different hours of the day, and
complaint was made that the ward was not
doing its duty by the Republican candidate.
The vote was comparatively light in the
forenoon but improved somewhat in the
afternoon. In the Tenth precinct, where
Candidate Smith lives, it was claimed he
was getting a few votes. In the First pre-
cinct the Republicans did well in getting
out their strength. -Four well-known DEM
ocrats boldly announced at the polls that
they were for Harding.
1t was a day of suspense for Republicans
of the northwest wards. Reports of an
immense vote that was being cast in the
Democratic strongholds south of Washing
ton street kept reaching Republican work
ers all day and they were rowerless to get
out the tagging vote. There were, of
rule. but in most of the northwest pre-
cincts anywhere from ten to fifty Repub-
lcan votes had not been cast at o'clock
in the afternoon, with but slight chance of
getting them in before the polls closed.
Republicans of Haughville felt good over
the situation While a good many votes
that had been counted on were out an hour
before the polls closed, the workers
claimed that the Democrats were even fur
Their behind in the vote their poll showed,
and it was predicted that the Democratic
majority in the suburb would be greatly
reduced. The shops in Haughville closed at
3 o'clock in the afternoon in order to give
their employees chance to vote, and most
OF them went at once to the polls. Opin-
ions varied at the amount of scratching
that had been done, but it was conceded
that there was a good deal In both parties.
Workers of both parties, so far as the
northwest section was concerned, COM