Evening journal., 1902-11-04
The battle Of ballots is on.


Before the Evening Journal reaches
many Of it's readers the contest will
have been practically decided although
all the ballots will not have been
counted. All sorts of schemes were re-
sorted to by the Union Republicans to
bring about the defeat Of the ReDub-
lican ticket but the indications are that
they will amount to naught-
Most of the polling places in the city
opened before o'clock this morning,
and in most places the voting was fast
compared with the last election.
Negro slow Voting
That portion of the negro vote which
demands pay before voting was slow In
. voting this morning.
This is regarded as an indication
that they had not been paid 1t was
reported from several reliable sources
that the Addicks money was being kept
by the leaders instead of being given
TO the floaters. These negroes were
making a howl for their money this
morning. III
County Ticket Safe
The indications are that tie entire
county ticket and State officers will be
elected. The Republicans are claiming
the Legislature on joint ballot. Whether
they viii control both branches is
doubtful. If the Republicans do not
| elect DR.. Ball it will be the fault of the
Union Republicans who insisted upon
the nomination of Byrne for Congress.
The polls will not close until o'clock
this evening. Many of the working
men who we're in the shops all day will
vote at the last moment.
Did Not Put on Stickers
What appears to have been a Union
Republican scheme to defeat George w.
Sparks, candidate for senator from tic
4 First senatorial district. was discovered
this morning before it was worked to
any extent.
Shortly after the polls opened in the
Fifty sixth district. at No. 2l5 West
Tenth stre-. Republican workers Ciscov-
cred that tee George w. Sparks stickors
had not be,n PLAYED on the ballots il
4 that distrlct. This should lave been
done according to law by the clerks of
. the polling : lace.
When questioned the election officers
4 there stated fhat they had no autlo-ity
. to place the stickers on, as they had
received no instructions to that ef-
feet, and refused to put them on.
The matter was reported to Pro-
thOnotary Frank l. Speakman, who
went to the polling place and read the
law to the election officers as to put
ting on stickers. The stickprs were
then put on the remainder of the bal
4 lots, but twenty-six persons had al
ready voted
OF this number it is said that about
half of the votes we're Republicans ani
4 half Democrats.
AS the stickers were not on the twen-
ty-six ballots voted, it is claimed they
were not official, and will probably be
thrown out The same trouble was OK
perienced in one other district, but
was discovered and stickers placed on
before many votes had been cast.
If the vote is close in any distri It
where the clerks refused to put on the
stickers a contest will probably be the
result. and the matter taken into the
courts.
Phillip Il. Garrett, who knew Of the
trouble at No. 215 West Tenth street,
said that he thought the ballots would
have to be counted. Others who were
seen said that the matter as to wheth-
er the ballots will be counted would
have to be tested in the courts.
Gave Men Time to Vote
A great many of the large firms oil
this city closed their plants at
o'clock to allow the men to vote today
others were shut down for the entire
day, butt the majority of the companies
allowed their men an hour in which tC
cast their vote. The street car com.
panies also gave their men an hour
as did also the stores and other busl
ness places.