The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-07
Very Light Vote In Topeka
Cause of Much Worry.
Both Sides Frightened at the
Situation Presented.
LESS THAN ONE THIRD
Per Cent Of Registration Vot-
ing Will Be Small.
Situation In the Various Wards
Today.

There is an election in Topeka today
but it is, if anything, less interesting
than was anticipated.
The supporters of ex-Sheriff Kepley
are not making as much stir as was an
ticipated and neither are the Cook
workers and there is no enthusiasm in
the air. At the polling places the
judges and clerks are having an enjoy
able time and good story telIers are in
! demand. The public servants are not
being Overworked and it will not keep
them very late to count out the votes
that will be cast.
1t is doubtful if the vote will be one
third of the registration in the city.
There is always a late rush but the
vote was so light in the early part of
/ the day that it is not likely that the
effect of the late vote will make per-
ceptible showing.
There are few carriages and those
that are in use are driven lazily back
and forth in an aimlesS way which in
dicateS that the drivers do not care
much whether they take any one to the
polls or not
The friends of ex-Sheriff KepIey said
| before today that their hope was in
securing a large vote but some of the
Republican leaders are very much
frightened because the vote is so small.
They say that the Kepley supporters
are voting. But Mr.. Kepleys hope for
a large vote was surely based upon a
careful canvass Of the situation and it
would appear that he will suffer more
than Sheriff Cook by the very light
vote.
A few bets We're made that Sheriff
! Cook would have more than 500 majori-
ty but there was very little betting of
any kind done by the followers of
either man.
Chairman CLANCY of the Republican
county committee said this afternoon
that he feels perfectly confident of the
result He predicts the election of
Sheriff Cook by about 1000 majority.
There is much more interest being
taken in the Ohio election than those
in Kansas and the Republican commit
tee has put in a special wire and an
operator to receive returns at the old
court house. They have also put in a
! telephone, No 809, and will be prepared
| to furnish InfOrma ton from the city
as well as the nation at large.
The voting in the First ward North
Topeka, is light There is little inter
est manifested
It was thought that the contest be
| tween Higginbothan1, fuSiCnist and
HaineS; Republican, for commissioner,
| would be closely contested but it is
conceded that Haines will carry all the
| three precincts by a good majority.
Peter Cook, for sheriff, is certain of
| every precinct Councilman Blossom, q
| Democrat, comedies that Cook will car
! ry me ward
Up to II o'clock the vote in the first
| precinct was So votes pOlled out of a
| few over 500 registered. In the second
precinct 46 votes polled out of 4S2 reg
istered. In the third precinct 40 votes
pOIled out of 524 registered. The cleo
tiOn is quiet. The judges and clerks
spend the greater part of their time
! chatting
There is practically no interest mani
fest in any of the precincts south of the
river. At 1:30 O'Clock only a small frac-
tiOn over 20 per cent of the registered
vote had been cast. The polling places
are very quiet The judges and clerks
| sit around with nothing to do, while a
policeman dozes outside-and this too
an ideal day for an election.
John K. Wright, county clerk and
candidate for reelection, said: 1T looks
| to me as though more in proportion of
the Kepley men are getting out than of
Republicans. The way the vote is go
| ing it will greatly cut down the ma
| jorities. We have been counting on
| $500 majority for Cook, but It will be
] cut down to 200 if people don't get out
| and vote faster than they have been so
far
United States Marshal W. E. sterne
| says that the apathy is common to both
| strongly Republican" he said I do
not believe kepley men are getting out
| any more than our men are"
In the fifth precinct of the Second
| ward at lis o'clock there had been
/ only 98 votes cast out of registration
/ of $40, a trifie over Is per cent. This
| is the largest precinct in the city, too.
In the First precinct of the Third
| ward at 1:30, % per cent of the regis
tered vote had been cast, so votes out
| of a registration of 335. The Second
/ 46t4LACL VI LlAC same WdIQ ulQ D6IIeT
! than any of the others. Exactly one
third of the vote had been cast at 30
| -125 votes out Of a registration of 375.
/ Down in the Fourth ward the vote
ran about as it did in the Second The
| First precinct has a registration of 336,
! and 81 votes had been cast at 1:15
/ o'clock, over 25 per cent. The Second
! precinct with a registration of 395
/ had exactly the same vote, S7-a per
! centage of %. At 1 o'clock the Third
! precinct of the Fourth ward had cast
81 votes out of registration of 36S
little over Il per cent
| The Fifth and Sixth wards are run
| ming about like the others, and no in
| terest is manifest in any of the pre-
| cincts. In the First precinct of the
! Fifth ward II votes had been cast at
! p m.
| AFTER EnRTY.TWn YEARS