The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-06-12
FIERCE STRUGGLE
FOR PARTY HONORS

When the polls opened, groups were
gathered in front of all the booths and
at no time until the result was finally
announced were there any semblance
of lonesomeness apparent. The boards
did their work, as a rule. expeditiously
the voters came early, and when the
hour for closing arrived there was an
absence for the most part of the "7
o'clock rush." which is generally char
acteristic of a heavy poll.
PECULIAR WEATHER,
The weather was seemingly in a
jocose mood Just at o'clock the
whole eastern horizon commenced to
darken and in a few minutes one was
looking for anything from a hurricane
up. Clouds of dust scurried before a
gale of cyclonic fury, lightning flashes
played across the darkening sky and
rain drops of unusual size began to
patter. OF a sudden, however, there
was a transformation, and the candi-
| date who was feeling dubious about
his farmer friends venturing out were
| reassured by a cessation of the rain,
Frightening skies and an abatement oc
the wind. Some threats in the way of
light, fitful sun-showers followed at
intervals, but they were so mild and of
such brief duration that they hardly
count in summing up the weather. All
in all, the weather was deserving of
the appellation propitious. The returns
indicate that it did not interfere to any
great degree in getting out the voters.
1t was, of course, a quiet and orderly
election in fact, it was as far as the
first returns relate, a good-natured af-
fair all around. The candidates and
their friends fought vigorously and.
with one fragrant exception, squarely
as far as general report goes. The
consequence was the voting was a
friendly neighborly contest and few Of
the candidates but what can shake
hands genially with his opponents, this
morning, and heartily wish the sue
cessful one continued success.
1t was generally expected that a
very large vote would be polled, but
no one, it is safe to say counted on
such a generous exercise of the fran
chse as the returns from some booths
show.
EIGHTH WARD.
In the Eighth ward, First district
| there We're 1872 votes cast Last fall
| all four candidates for state treas
urer received 1872 votes in this district
| In the Second district of the Eighth
| ward, at o'clock, 2l7 votes had been
| polled. The Ferber-O'Malley fight in
this district last spring brought out
a total of 301. The First district OF
| the Seventeenth ward yesterday poll
| ed 29S votes. Last spring Major Eel
| lows got the highest Republican vote
| cast in this precinct and it was just
| one-half, less two, of the total vote
| of yesterday.
| The First district of the Twenty.
| first ward counted 150 Republican
votes last evening. Last spring the
| highest Republican vote in this dis
| trict was e3. The Fifteenth ward poll.
| ed 623 votes yesterday. The spring
election total for both parties was 5SS
The Eleventh wards three districts
| yesterday polled 240, 223 and 124 votes
respectively. In the spring Mr.. Fer
ber's vote was 205, 144 and 80. The
difference Is 1S6 in favor of yesterday
The Ninth ward yesterday totalet
$40. Ferber and Gibbons together las
spring had 460.
Old Forge, First and Fourth dis
tritcs, yesterday cast $50 votes. Tht
whole township last fall cast only 27'
votes for all four candidates for state
treasurer. This same sort of thins
prevailed the county over. The Craw
ford system certainly can be truth
fully said to be 81 huge success a
bringing out the vote.
The test Of a proposed voters Re
| MI n n
ntely by the rules ana each boarC
adopted its own rule. In some dis
tricts it would appear the boards dis
cretion in this matter was equivalen
to the postulant voters wishes
In one district in the central city
Democratic county committeeman
offered himself as a voter. C. f. Chit
tenden, Republican ex-city chairman
was Judge of the board.
But, Mr.. Blank, are you a Repub
lican?"
"Well, I'll vote for every man
marked on that ballot"
Did you vote for the Republican
ticket at the last election?"
"Ahem-I-I intend to vote for thos
men I've marked"
"Well, you have voted for Repub
lican candidates, have you not?"
Yes"
"All right" and the vote was de
posted.
STURGES BIG VOTE.
As great as was the surprise at tn
big vote polled in some districts, wa
the showing of E. b. Sturges for jur
commissioner. The very first batch q
returns indicated he would dstanc
the field and probably have not onl
an immense plurality but actually
majority. In districts where his mos
sanguine supporters counted on littl
or no aid, his vote was larger tina
that of all his eleven opponents com
bined, His campaign manager, AS
sistant City Solicitor David j. Davi
vowed last night that not a cent wa
spent for one of these thousands G
votes further than that which wen
for legitimate expenses, such as news
paper advertising and the like.
, The first district to send in its cour
was La Plume borough. The return
from this, the most distant district /
. the county We're received at Tn
Tribune office shortly after 81
o'clock.
No effort was made by the committe