Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-05
'OUIETEST IN MANY YEARS
Very Little Interest Taken in the Election
Held Yesterday,
VOTERS SCRATCH ALL WAY DOWN BALLOT
Unusual Discrimination shown by
Those who Did Take the
Trouble to Go &c the
Polls.


The general apathy which had marked
the campaign was manifest at the polls
yesterday in Council Bluffs and a light
vote was the result. Little interest was
shown and so far as the city was con-
cerned, yesterdays was one of the most
quiet elections in its history. Except from
the fact that the banks and saloons were
closed, and the gathering in the imme-
diate vicinity OF the polling places, there
was little to indicate that an election was
In progress.
Even after the polls we're closed there
appeared to be but little interest in the
result. and the crowds around the places
where returns were received were conspic-
uous by their absence. 1t was evident
that those who had assembled to watch
the returns we're more interested in the re-
suit Of the congressional election across
the river than In that of the local tickets.
owing to the large number Of scratched
ballots the returns from the city precincts
were late in coming in and IT was long
after midnight before any definite figures
were obtainable.
Much Scratching Done.
Not in any county election for many
! years was there so much knitting and slash
ing of the tickets as yesterday, and in sew
eral OF the precincts the scratched bal
lots equaled the straights. In one pre-
cinct the scratched ballots exceeded in
number the s~tTaights. In the First pre-
cinct OF the First ward there were 81
straight republican, 142 straight democratic
and 142 scratched ballots. In the Second
precinct there we're 1913 straight repub-
lican. ia straight democratic and 173
scratched ballots. In the First precinct
of the Second ward there were 147 scratched
ballots as against 125 straight republican
and 122 straight democratic. In the Sec
ond precinct Of the Second ward the scratch
ing was not quite so vigorous and there
were 154 straight republican and 1913
straight democratic and only 30 scratched
ballots.
In the First precinct of the Third ward
there we're ia straight republican, 80
straight democratic and 1876 scratched ball
lots. In the Second precinct Of this ward
! there were n scratched ballots against 90
| straight republican and SO straight demo-
cratic ballots. In the First precinct Of the
Fourth ward there were 95 straight repub-
lican, SO straight democratic and ISL
| scratched ballots. In the First precinct
Of the Fifth ward there we're 154 straight
republican, 11s straight democratic and las
scratched ballots. In the Second precinct
of this ward there were SO scratched, 1875
4 straight republican and s5 straight demo-
cratic ballots.
Vote Very Light.
The vote was a light one throughout the
entire city and only about a two-thirds
vote was polled. The appeal of Chairman
Wright of the republican county central
committee for members Of the party TO
vote early was evidently unheeded, as up
to noon the vote in every precinct was I'M
usually light. In some precincts not one
fourth OF the regular vote was polled by
noon. Reports, however, from the country
precincts indicated hat the normal vote
for an of year had been polled.
Practically complete returns at 2 o'clock
this morning from twenty-one of the TWEEN
ty-nine county precincts and from nine Of
the twelve city precincts show that the
entire republican ticket is elected by ma
%jorities ranging from 300 to 1000.
This means the reelection OF County
Attorney Killpack, Clerk of the District
Court Theodore L. Reed, Auditor r. "
Innes. Recorder E. e. Smith and Super
visors Brandes and Bulls. The state ticket
in Pottawattamie county receives over 1,00C
majority. Congressman Walter /. Smith
carries Pottawattamie county by about 1,0OC
votes and the Ninth district by over 5000
as against nearly 1000 in 1900, the decrease
being due to the light vote. Returns from
the Ninth district are however incomplete
The republican judicial ticket is elected
each of the judges, Thornell, Green and
Wheeler, receiving. according TO incom-
plete returns from the counties Of the FIJI
teenth judicial district, maiorities OF about
1000 each.
noI...l ~ n Qourdara fha ranuhIlcau
nominee for state senator. received about
500 majority over NJ. f, Roher, democratic
candidate. Incomplete returns indicate thai
the entire republican ticket in Kane town
ship. which includes two Justices OF the
peace for Council BLUFFS. is elected.
Gravel roofing. A. II. Reid. SAL Broadway.