The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-15
FIX UP WARDS.
Prohibiti0nists Would Have a
"Bad One' Made.
Would Allow but Two "Wet"
Members.
CUT DOWN FOURTH.
Sixth Is Certain to Get Part Of
1t.
How the "Wets" Would Rear
range Things.

If the plans of the prohibition mem
bers of the city council do not miscarry,
bad ward" will be created in To2eka
into which will be crowded all of the
business portion of the city, and as
much of the Second ward as possible,
the plan being to fix things SO that two
and only two members of the city coun-
ell will be wet in their sympathies.
The proposed new ward will be COM
posed of the east precincts of the Fourth
ward and the west precincts of the Sec
ond ward. 1t will be bounded by the
Kansas river on the north. by Tyler or
Polk on the west, by Eighth street on
the south and by Madison or Jefferson
the east. It will be called the Fourth
ward.
The west part of what is now the
Fourth ward will be added to the Sixth
ward, which IS now the smallest ward
in the city. The Sixth ward will con-
tinue to be safely dry
It is believed that what is left of the
Second ward will have population
enough, and that it will be a dry
ward. The east precinct of the Second
ward is prohibition stronghold.
The Fifth ward would be increased in
size by the addition of IL blocks from
the east end of the Third ward, between
Kansas avenue and Jefferson and
Eighth and Eleventh. This locality Is
believed to be a vet district. so to
counterfeit this and leave the Fifth
safely dry" a big tract from the west
end of the Third ward would be added
to the Fifth.
the prohibitionists could control the Sec
ond Third, Fifth and Sixth wards. The
Fourth would be the dumping ground
for all the stray reSubmission votes
The First ward, on the other side of the
river. would continue to be a battle
ground. with the chances favoring the
'.-drys''
But the prohibition members of the
council are not alone in their plans for
laying out the new ward lines for the
city. The resubmission members have
some schemes which they are trying to
pull through, and unless indications fail,
they will have at least six, and possibly
seven members of the council ready to
help.
The resubmissionists want to fix the
Second and Fourth wards SO that they
! are certain to go wet" and they would
also like to make the Third and Fifth
wards debatable ground.
| To accomplish this they propose TO
limit the Second ward at Sixth street in
stead of Eighth street. and thus take out
of it the fourth precinct at the east end
of the ward, which is for prohibition.
This double tier, comprising about 81
blocks. would be added to the Fifth
ward. The IL blocks between Kansas
avenue and Jefferson, Eighth and Elev-
be thrown into the Fifth This last is
for the purpose of helping out the
VETS" in the Fifth ward.
To make the Fourth ward safe for the
resubmissionists a large portion of the
west end of the ward would be annexed
| to the Sixth
1t is also possible that some of the
prohibition west end of the Third ward
will also be added to the Sixth, for the
purpose of giving the Third ward resub-
missionists good fighting chance.
BY such an arrangement the "wets'
would be sure of the Second and Fourth
wards, and would have a good fighting
chance in the Third and Fifth. They
would dump all the prohibition precincts
possible into the Sixth ward. and would
| concede it to the prohibition forces.
The laying out of the new wards de-
ponds entirely upon the city council
The matter is now before the ways and
means committee. which win probably
Drcaose some sort of a plan for the
council to act upon.
The object of the redstricting is to in.
crease the population of the Fifth and
Sixth wards and reduce the other three
! wards thus making the five wards on
the south side of the river nearer the
| same size