The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-15

with fairness 1t was in circumstances
outside the range OF the law itself that the
Objectionable incidents were apparent.
NO SECRECY.
There was practically no attempt at Sc
crecy made Instead Of the voting being
conducted in booths, out of the views of
prying eyes. it was done for the most part
on tables or wherever the person wishing
TO vote could partly conceal his ballot 1t
is reasonably certain that a number of can
didates were able TO tell exactly how many
persons voted and whether men WhOm they
had pledged were keeping promises. The
lack OF secrecy caused embarrassment TO
many persons who, while having no Interior
motive for hiding their hands. did not from
a sense OF dellcacy care 10 marx theH
tickets practically in plain view of persons
interested. After leaving the voting rooms
there were many yesterday who declared
that the primary law would never work
satisfactorily until booths were provided in
every precinct
voting was the presence of the CRATER,
white and colored, unblushingly inviting
offer OF money for his ballot. In precincts
In the Sixth ward, in part of the Fifth, in
the South Side that was visited yesterday
afternoon men were standing around the
polls cracking jokes with little interest in
anything until some quick eye noted that
a well-knOwn manager was driving up.
Then all gossip would be suspended and
those who were the most hardened made
rush for their victim Usually the manager
would withdraw some distance from the
polling place. across the street or around
the corner and hold conference with the
parasites. 1t was stated at number OF
precincts by men who had observed closely
that in these little conferences it was the
usual thing for crisp dollar bills to be
transferred quickly from the hand OF the
man besieged to the grafters interested. At
enc precinct. the fifth. in the Sixth ward
(the voting place 73i Indiana avenue), there
were a dozen negroes loafinS around the
polls at 4:30 O'Clock. One of them was
asked if he had voted yet and he replied
with a laugh that he had not. He was
asked why, and he declared that he had not
seen two men he wanted to talk to.
None of the others with him had voted he
said, and did not intend to until late in the
evening At several precincts it was stated
that hundreds of votes were being withheld
until a late hour for the purpose of making
the best terms possible with the candidates
or their agents.
AGENTS OF CANDIDATES.
Another feature of the day, which caused
much disgust to business men who desired
to vote quickly possible to get away,
was the unpleasant buttonholing to which
they subjected at many of the polling
places by agents OF several candidates.
These agents for the most part, seeing
man going the polls, quick to APP
proach and ask in an insinuating tone II he
would not vote for so and so. Some OF
these fellows were hard to get rid of. 1T is
said, and reiterated their suggestions TO the
very door of the voting room. In some
cases the buttOnhoers were ward-heelers
of an unlovely type and they blew their
breath in peoples faces with careless free
dom.
The candidates for treasurer. auditor.
clerk and prosecutor seemed to be the
busiest during the day. Cyrus j. Clark,
William T. Davis, Clinton l.. Hare, Fred
Shepard John Ruckelshaus, John Spahr,
nrrpl p-1a anFaf hn
day in making tour of the polling places
and consulting with their managers Near
ly all of them had provided capacious
wagons or buggleS 10 bring out voters. The
candidates for minor places were hardly
less busy and at times at a precinct there
would be a swarm of aspirants for justice
of the peace. Opinions freely ex
pressed by men who kept a close watch on
the voting as TO the standing of their prin-
cipals 1t was stated that Clark, who was
said to be unpopular with the colored
voters, had made decisive and unexpected
gains in the support formerly accredited to
his opponents. Clark, ii was said received
a heavy vote all through the South
Side. Shepard, appearances seemed to
indicate, had things all his own way
in his own ward, the Eighth. and was re-
ceiving, ii was believed, strong support in
the Fifth and Third wards. William +.
Davis, for clerk, was getting, it was stated,
heavy vote in the Fifth and Sixth wards,
and was believed to be running well on
the South Side. His managers were con-
tident and predicted success. In the EleV-
enth and Twelfth wards the fight between
Hare and Davis was waged fiercely all day,
and 1T was said that the former seemed to
have the advantage. The managers of
Ruckelshaus were jublant yesterday after
noon, and claimed that their man would
| win without a doubt. They said that he
had made unlooked-for gains in the col
ored vote. Spahr, it was stated. was poll
ing a heavy vote south of Washington
! street Both McGTegor'S and Carriers man.
! ayers We're claiming the victory for COM
missioner in the Second district. although
! 1T was asserted confidently that Carter was
| having the best of the race. TutewilerS
men were working like beavers yesterday,
and their cry that the doctors were
! disOrganiZed" and that the undertaken was
a sure winner for the nomination for cor
! oner. 1t seemed TO be reasonably certain
/ from reports received that Akin was far
/ ahead in the race for recorder, and that
/ Metzger for sheriff was running consider
ably ahead of his opponents. Everybody
/ was making big claims, and it was diff
cult to separate probability from guess
| work.
SIZE OF THE VOTE.
By O'Clock yesterday afternoon it was
estimated that the average vote polled all
over the city was about so per cent. of the
total. In the fifth precinct of the Sixth
ward about so per cent. of the vote had
/ been polled at o'clock. In the third pre-
/ cinct of the same ward the percentage was
/ less. about % per cent. In the thirteenth
precinct of the Sixth ward about 40 per
/ cent. VI the vote was III 10y the Hlluul6 vi
I the afternoon. In the twelfth precinct of
the ward the vote was heavier early
| in the day, about half of the total having
! been polled by o'clock. In the eighth
/ precinct of the Third ward the per cent.
1 reached 80 at the same hour. In the fifth
precinct of the First ward 50 per cent. had
been polled by o'clock. BY o'clock the
/ heaviest part of the vote was in. 1t was
confidently asserted at nearly all the pre-
/ cincts that practically the full vote would
be cast by the time the polls were closed.
In none of the precincts visited yesterday
was there any evidence of drunkenness.
4 In one or two of the .'colored wards some
of the voters had apparently been well
supplied with beer, but there was no dis
! order.
Perhaps the quietest voting place in the
city was in the fourth precinct of the Tenth
| ward. This voting place was i'm the engine
! only one private residence in this precinct,
remarked one of the election officers yes
! terday afternoon. He explained that this
! residence is the home of the Rev. Father
| Scheideler, pastor Of st. Mary's Church on
| East Maryland street. The precinct is
! known as the hotel precinct" There are
| large number of hotels inside its bound
aries, and, of course most of the guests
| have no right to vote there. Nearly all
OF the other voters i'm the precinct live in
! the blocks in which their business is car
| ried
In the twelfth precinct of the Sixth
| Ward-One of the downtown precncts-it
| was estimated about o'clock that 80 per
| cent OF the vote would be got out. The
| officers In this precinct noticed that where
! man voted for some one for each Office
| average time consumed in voting was about
/ minutes. time