The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-09

All Ante Election Estimates End
wise and Caused Same Uncer-
tainly.
1t was a remarkable election in many
respects. Particularly was it remark
able in that the vote was extremely
light, Just the contrary to what was
to be expected in view of the vigor
Of the campaign and the virtually
perfect weather.
I'p to five o'clock the number of
votes polled throughout the county
were scarcely worth counting. Dis
tricts with "A registration of nearly
500 had not polled over a hundred and
fifty votes or so. The ballotng took
a squirt, however, about this hour and
when the polls closed there was u
fairly respectable showing.
In the central city the vote was
comparatively good, but in the SUI
| burban wards, with the single excep-
tion of the Thirteenth, the vote was
| lighter than it has been in years. At
noon only ~ votes had been cast in
the First district of the Fifteenth
ward and thirty-eight in the Second
| district. In the First district of the
Fouth ward at I o'clock 65 votes had
been polled and in the Second dis
| trict 62. Only 81 votes were tailed
| in the Second district of the First
ward at four o'clock and at the same
| hour in the Second district of the
Second ward 133 votes were recorded.
| Ordinarily in this latter district 300
votes are polled at this hour.
At $50 o'clock the Third district of
| the Thirteenth ward had LOG votes cast,
which is about the normal vote for
that hour. In the Seventh ward at l
o'clock all three districts reported Il
vote that was far below what it or
| dnarily should be. Where the vote
should be about l60 in the First dis
trict of the Twenty ward ct 4.SO
o'clock only 20 votes had been cast.
The Second district of the Fourth
ward, which polled over 400 votes last
fall. had 127 recorded at 4.30 o'clock.
The same number at the same hour
was reported from the First district
of the Fourteenth ward, which has
a registration OF about $50.
HEAVY FALLING OF.
Throughout the South Side the same
conditions obtained. Every ward
showed heavy falling off in the vote
| In the Second district of the Twelfth
ward, which ordinarily polls 2i5 votes
only las were recorded.
This was due in a great measure
to the action of Constable John G
Moran, who was the first man to vote
and who stood in the booth all day
challenging every man who attempted
to vote. He said he was in the en-
ploy of a Philadelphia detective agen
cy which was working in the interes
of good government
The Second district of the Seven
teenth ward got out probably tht
largest vote, comparatively, in tn
city. over 47O ballots being cast. TIL,
First district of the Ninth ward hac
272 votes tailed at the close of thu
polls. This district has a registration
of 525. In the Second district of tn
Eighth ward. which has a registration
of over 400 or more, 209 votes Wer
cast The First district of the Six
teenth cast only 245 of the 1865 vote
that it usually polls.
Dunmore reported the lightest Vot
in years and the same news cam
from Carbondale and many othe
places.
Many explanations were offered 70
the lightness of the vote, but only tW
of them were reasonable enough to b
acceptable. One OF these reasons wa
that the mines throughout the entir
valley were working full time yester
day. on the West Side all the collier
les worked Il full day and some @
them were on an eleven hour schedule
Under these circumstances the miner
, did not get through work until abou
43O o'clock and the laborers could no
get out till a couple of hours later
Another reason was found IN tn
fact that many voters are so disgust
ed at being dragged into an electio
| contest that they stayed away froi
, the polls altogether. 1t was reporte
from Carbordale that absence of full
five hundred voters could be account
ed for by this reason.
e STORIES OF CUTTING.
The usual stories of wholesale slasl
ing poured in from all over, but II
r returns do not indicate that II
r straight voting was any smaller tina
= was anticipated by the respective part
, | managers. AS was expected there we
y many split tickets on account of Il
y Swallow and Smith fights, but at l
!, time during the day could the Repul
. lican managers discover any foundi
!, ton for stories to the effect that Col
y nell was being cut in this district
e that.
Q There is no gainsaying that the
e was never more uncertainty as to Il
result than existed yesterday afte
noon when the reports showed a b
slump in the vote and a cOnseuue
$ knocking out of all ante-election est
= mates. At Democratic headquarte
Colonel Fitzsimmons. Joseph O'Brie
II George $. Horn, Hon. John p Kell