The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-07
OPEN AT 6 A. NJ.
Voting in Topeka Under the
New Law.
Began Soon After Daylight and
Was Lively.
TOTAL WILL BE LARGE
Heery People Are Active in Two
Wards.
Many Stupid Mistakes COmpIi-
cate Matters.
Everything Points to Election
of Bergundthal.
TOTAL WILL BE LARGE

of Bergundthal.
Election commenced at candle light
this morning. under the highly humor-
GUS provision of the new law which
says the polls must open at o'clock.
Reports indicate that the new law
fails of its object in affording laboring
people a unparalleled opportunity to
vote before going TO their work. The
vote in the early morning hours was
very light.
The Democrats We're more prompt in
beginning to bring out the voters. Their
carriages, most of which were hired
rigs, were on hand bright and early,
and seemed to be doing good deal of
missionary work. In the Second ward.
and in the colored settlements. the
Democrats put their handsomest rigs
with silver mounted harness and all.
The surreys and light carriages were
used in the precincts where the quail
ty" live.
1t was discovered this morning that
a serious mistake had been made by
the printer in getting up the tally
sheets for the election. The tally sheet
for the women's votes does not provide
enough lines to accommodate all of the
candidates. 1t was necessary for Elec-
tion Commissioner Williams to go from
precinct to precinct today with his
mucilage bottle and a supply of loose
pages for the tally book. He attached
half a page extra to the books, which
gave room for the additional names.
There were the usual telephone calls
from some precincts from judges who
want more pencils, another bottle of
ink, or some sort of information, all
of which supplies are kept on tap dur
ing the day by Mr.. Williams.
The weather is favorable to a large
vote at this writing. There has been no
rain, but the sky is overcast with
clouds. and il is warm enough SO that
there Is danger of prevalence Of wet
tsr conditions later in the day
The vote promises to be heavy. If
this promise is fulfilled, Bergundthal
should win by at least 1 900 majority.
QUIET AT POLLS.
The police have found little trouble in
preserving order at the polling places
this morning. Instead of putting spec
ialsfin charge of the polls, regulars are
on guard, and specials walk the beats.
Chief Donovan secured "A buggy and
visited every precinct but two before
n o'clock. He admonished all the Off
GERS i'm charge to prohibit electioneering
snside the dead line. Al the second pre-
cinct of the Fifth ward he found ex
SpOtter Gilmore peddling cards too near
the door and had him elected At the
first of the Third the policeman in
charge chased one man away for elec-
tioneering and these two cases were the
only ones reported up to 1890 where
officers had been obliged to use their
authority
eIf there is any trouble Of any kind
It will be because can't help it," said
Chief Donovan this morning and any
one making break will get the worst
of it, regardless Of political faith"
MANY BLUNDERS MADE
There is an open door for a contest
iu the courts over the city election
which is being held in Topeka today.
In several precincts serious blunders
have occurred.
Through the mistake of the city clerks
office. the general election ballots in
tended for the first precinct of the sixth
ward were sent to the second precinct
of that ward, and vice versa The mis-
take was discovered late but the change
was made and each precinct is using its
own ballots The ballots are the same
except for the name Of the precinct on
the back.
IN the first precinct of the Third ward
there was evidence of a deliberate at
tempt TO perpetrate q fraud this morn
ing After the voting had been in pro-
Rress for some time it was discovered
that someone had substituted indenble
pencils for the regulation black pencils
In the voting booths. Tt is not known
how many ballots had been marked be-
fore the fraud was discovered but the
law is plain that ballots marked with
an indelible pencil are invalidated.
There was a report that a similar sub
Etitution was attempted in the second
precinct of the Third ward but this was
denied by Frank Lindsay, supervisor at
that precinct. He says that the pencils
provided for the marking of ballots had
been carried off by people. perhaps
thoughtlessIy but that no substitution
had been attempted
bad mistake was also found in the
tally sheets this morning but as it was
discovered in time. serious trouble may
be averted. The printer in preparing
the tally sheets failed to leave enough
lines to contain the names of all the
candidates to be voted for by women
voters. The tally sheets. however. are
not brought into use until the vote is
counted. and this afternoon Election
Commissioner Williams went to each
voting precinct and inserted in each pon
book enough additional leaves to make
room for the tally.
EVERYTHING FANORS BERGI1NDT
The weather. which started i'm raw
with lowering skies. cleared off perfect
ly about the middle of the forenoon and
there is nothing to prevent heavy vote
O. women.
Indications are that there is being a
record breaking vote all over the city.
Up to noon. however. the First Second
and Fourth wards had a better start on
their voting than had the Third. Fifth
and Sixth. The Fifth. however, was do-
ing we'll The third was the slowest in
the city. and in the second precinct OF
the Third only $50 votes had been cast
up to i1-30- In the third precinct of the
Third with registration of over LOCO
only 296 votes had been cast up to Ii
O'Clock.
There is no serious cause for alarm
however as in the Sixth ward esnecialiy
Il is the almost unvarying experience
that the vote comes in during the after.