The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-06
The SILENT VOTER
He is Expressing Himself In
Topeka Today.
Election Starts Out With a
Very Heavy Vote.
LITTLE EXCITEMENT.
sHeelers" Are Apparently Keep
ing In the Background.
Close Watch is Being Kept For
Fraud.

Election day in Topeka started in with
good humor and first class weather.
There was just enough frost in the air
to cause men to hurry along on their
way to the polls, while the shining sun
added a brilliance to the day which was
inspiring to higher and better things.
In the past foggy, misty days. have
precipitated quarrels at the organization
of the polling places. Today not a sin
gle SQuabble has been reported up to
noon. If there is trouble il will be due
to the ever present election booze"
which though denied by its distributors,
is always found in convenient places for
the benefit and the accommodation of
those conf1ding individuals who are IA
miliar with the inside working OF poll
tics
The citizens met as man and man, for
getting. apparently the claims by their
particular party managers that the 9TH
er side seeks to accomplish victory
through fraud POpuliSts, DemoC rats,
Republicans Social Democrats, Prohibi-
tionists, Suffragists, lawyers. teamsters.
street car employees, white and colored
people Of all conditions in life stood in
line, waiting fer their turn to get into
the voting booth In these lines there
was no sQuabbling or quarreling. The
men marched to the polls in good order
and added their mite to the general YER
diet.
Shawnee county today participates in
the twenty-fOurth state election. The
people voting for president had a choice
VIII be the twenty-fifth individual
elected to the presidency. If Bry an be
elected he will he in number the twenty
sixth individual so chosen.
This does not represent the actual
number of president chosen by the peo-
pie including and since the time of
w Washington, as many of the presidents
had two terms, but in point of success
twenty fifth.
The judges and clerks of the election
n Tonn<q on ba1 o,Irv tJ,4-
ing and the machinery for the election
was ready for work at the appointed
hour in nearly all of the voting pre-
cfncts.
The organization was not effected with
such facility, however as marked the
beginning of the voting. From every
precinct in the city reports of unprece-
dented voting have been received. Many
of the precincts polled an average of a,
vote per minute, but the second pre-
cinct of the Third ward cast, at 500
West Tenth, 100 votes in 80 minutes.
This was the record breaker
towards noon the rapidity with which
the votes had been cast decreased to
some extent, due no doubt to the fact
that the voters were scratching the
ticket. Early this morning the votes
were soon marked and placed in the
box, but later in the day the returns
from the booths were slower, giving rise
to the general opinion that the voters
were handing their compliments" to
some gentleman on the ticket.
Il0pQDllCdnS WHO are interested IN the
state administration, this forenoon ex-
pressed the opinion that Governor Stan
ley will make a better race in Topeka
than his most earnest supporters an
ticipated. However, this is only an i'm
preston gained from the fact there was
no antagonism manifested publicly. As
a matter of fact, when the votes are
counted out there may be several sur
prises for all sides.
Posted at each polling place is a rep
resentative of the John Martin-George
Clark committee, seeking to apprehend
fraudulent voters
Three hundred warrants are in the
hands of police officers for the arrest Of
men attempting to vote fraudulently.
The fusionists found 500 names on the
registration books which could not be
proven as legal voters OF this number
300 were accounted for as having left
the city or moved to other wards but
the remaining 800 are suspected of an in
tention to vote fraudulently and are as
a consequence under the ban. Should
they present themselves to vote {. n.
Alexander, the promoter of the inVesti-
CATION for fraud, says immediate arrest
will follow. Mr.. Alexander states that
"our committee has prepared 300 war
rants and we viii keep a close tab on
every polling place"
Near the tables used by the judges
and clerks of the election this sentinel,
guarding the purity Of the ballot at the
suggestion Of the fraud investigating
committee. stands with a list Of voters
alleged by this committee to have no
rights as a citizen in this particular
election. Up to noon these sentinels were
busy only in checking their lists. There
were no fraudulent votes attempted
anywhere in the city during the fore
noon. This is admitted by the commit
tee which alleges fraud, and endorsed by
the Republican county committee
There is one distinctive characteristic
In today's election in this city and that Is
the strict silence which men observe con-
cerning their vote Good natured saiu-
tations were heard on every hand at the
for
tician was absent. In few precincts was
there the necessity Of assisting in the
marking Of ballots for voters This work
and infrrn voter is hauled to the polls.
This forenoon the able-bOCied men hur-
breakfast and rushed of to take part in
the proper protection and saving or the
The Hazen-NichoIs opposition was max
work The spirits Of the supporters OF the
Republican ticket seemed to be on the
ing. but the Martin-Clark committee
claims a certain victory The betting to-
day was, however, to on Nichols and
In the Second ward this latter element
claims a heavy support. but the Repub-
hcan manag gers insist that. according 70 /
the indication Of the preliminary rounds !
this forencn. the regular nominees OF the /
party will win
MORE THAN HALF IN AT NOON.
TEe principal feature of the election in
Topeka TO-DAY was the early voting which !
took place There are 10.167 votes regis /
tered Of which it is estimated between 50 !
and 10 per cent was reDosing peacefully /
in the ballot box at noon today
The voting precincts in the various /
wards. close in. recorded the heaviest /
and the most rapid voting.
The precinct at the police station Rains 4
livery stable. Pritchard and Knisley's !
stable on Tenth avenue, the Neale block .