Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-27
SEVENTH WARD.
EIGHTH WARD.

Miller, R.............. I5S 2S l& los I4l
1t was an ideal day for voting, except
for the last hour before the polls clos
ed, when the snow storm set in. Bust
ness throughout the city was almost at
a %standstill, there being great public
interest in the result, and the turnout
to the polls in the various wards was
phenOminally large. The banks were
all closed, business in public offices
was largely suspended, and there was
a general rally on the part of the ac-
tive workers of both the ring and its
antagonists. The ring leaders exerted
themselves to the utmost. Every man
was on duty from the City Hall and
Court House, and at many of the poll
ing places the crowds of voters re-
minded n of old times before the
present law went into effect. The
downfall of Mayor Butts, who was
ruthlessly traded off by his old-time
friends for votes for Council candi-
dates and for the remainder of the city
ticket, was early apparent, and at noon
it was felt by those in touch with the
situation that the Mayor had ever lost
that ancient Republican stronghold.
the Island, and at three o'clock there
was doubt that he would carry a single
ward in the city. AS a matter of fact.
he only carried the Eighth. The Ritz
workers became jubilant as the
day wore on, and late in
the afternoon felt that thew
mad pulled a deserving man through.
A majority of 1,05S was a trihe too big
to overcome, however. The vote cast
for MIR. Paul for City Clerk and for
Bruner for Wharfmaster also early
showed signs of being very large. and
when the polls closed there was a
widespread expectation that the en-
tire ring ticket had been defeated, and
that the ring majority in Council was
a thing of the past. This latter de-
pended upon the First ward, and for
hours 1t was an even guess as to what
the result had been. Even after mid
night, when all but M precinct of the
First ward had reported, it was doubt
full which party had a majority in
Council, and it took the last precinct
in the upper end of town, and the null
titude of ring satellites holding Office
in the City Hall were saved. They had
the life frightened out of them, how
ever, and went home about one
o'clock chastened in spirit and with a
deep consciousness that the beginning
of the end was in sight for them.
The returns were received at the
office of the City Clerk, and there was
never such a jam of voters at the
Public Building as there assembled
asoon after seven O'Clock. Two years
ago few Democrats were in evidence.
Last night there were many present.
To be sure, they did not crowd into
the inner Office, and no reserved seats
were kept for them, but they congre-
gated in goodly numbers on the out
skirts of the crowd of Republican
leaders and strikers, and were very
and applause when the returns began
to come in.
The figures were bad for the ring
from the start, showing a decided
slump all along the line, but particu-
larly for Butts. The first precinct
showed a remarkable gain for
Sweeney. but it created little appre-
hension in the minds Of the ring lead
ers, as they felt secure. Two more
precincts but emphasized the stu
alton, and when five had reported.
with an average gain for Sweeney of
about forty to the precinct, the big
guns began to look uneasy. The tide
continued to drift against the ring,
and with ten precincts in Sweeney
had nearly wiped out Butts majority
of two years ago. and it was plainly to
be seen that the jig was up. The
question was, how many were to be
carried away in the landslide. 1t was
early apparent that the Fifth ward
was lost to the Republicans, and soon
afterwards the Sixth was given UP.
The ring leaders held on to the
Fourth, but little by little it slipped
away, until it. too, was mourned as
lost. Then they pinned their faith on
carrying the First, but three precincts
left the ward in doubt, and it was
n O'Clock this morning before it was
known that three Republicans out of
FIVE up there had pulled through, thus
saving the Council on joint ballot.
The only ward which aroused any
Republican enthusiasm was the Sec
ond, where more voters were polIed
than ever lived in the ward in all its
history. Where they came from IS a
mystery, which certain ring leaders
can only solve. As a matter of fact.
queer and unknown voters deposited
ring ballots in many of the precincts
throughout the city, but even with all
this aid. it vas a losing battle. On a
square vote, the ring would only have
elected one man IN its city ticket, and
would have been in a minority in
Council