Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1904-11-08
THE BIG FIGHT IS NOW ON.
EARLY VOTING CHARAC-
TERIZES THE DAY.
Democratic Success Is Presaged BY
Both Sides In The City
And County.

AS IhT as any serious QlsoFueT Is con-
cerned the day passed very quietly
during the hours of voting. The
streets wore very deserted appear
ance except in the immediate neigh.
borhood of the polls and at those
points large crowds were gathered.
In some precincts over half of the
ballots were cast before 10 O'Clock in
the morning.
Both in Annapolis and Eastport
voters were waiting at the poles be-
fore the election officers had arrived.
Immediately there was a rush on the
part who were compelled to get TO
work early and from then ON till late
in the afternoon there was no let mp
OF the steady crowd which filed in.
The voting in Eastport, by reason of
the fact that the precinct embraces a
large agricultural and country sec
tion, was much heavier than in any
ward in Annapolis.
At all of the ward polls great diff
Guilty seemed to be experienced by the
| colored voters in marking their bal.
lots. Nearly every one made use of
the full time allowed by law in mark
| ing their ballots and some were forced
TO give mp the task as too much for
their comprehension. They were
very stubborn in the matter of retain
ing their position in line whenever
the number of those who desired tu
vote were present in great numbers.
Among the white voters of both par
ties there seemed to be but little
trouble in marking the ballots. They
did not consume more time than was
needful to enter the booth, unfold the
| ticket and make two marks. A very
| amusing incident was that shortly
after O'Clock in the Second ward.
A colored man. entered the voting
place, secured his ballot and entered
| a boo tn. After a few minutes time
| he returned with the information
| that it was too dark for him to read
the ticket. A candle was provided
him and he again essayed to mark the
ballot.
Several more minutes were con-
sumed in the effort he issued forth
with the request that pair of glasses
| be loaned him, as he had left his al
home. These were forthcoming and
he made another try, but consumed
nearly twice as much time as the law
allows His ballot, for that reason,
was worthless. Considerable interest
was manifested in the appearance of
| Governor Warfield and Secretary OF
| State Tilghman at the Second warC
voting place. They appeared in com
| pany and lost no time in marking
their ballots. They stated that they
had not the slightest difficulty il
marking their ballots in spite of the
| fact that they had heard so much OF
its complexity. This was the first
| time the Governor had ever cast bal.
lot outside of his own county. He
said that he had usually enjoyed goinf
| to the poll in the country and stand
ing around to talk about the affairs
of the day. Only once before did Sec
retary of State Tilghman ever vote
outside of his own county of Talbot
That exception was when he voted a
Iuka, Miss, in 1863. At that tim'
he voted for Jefferson Davis as presi
dent of the Confederate States o.
| America.
On the early afternoon train owe
the Annapolis. Washington q Balti
more Railroad came Admiral Winfield
Scott Schley. He went immediatel,
to the Third ward voting place anC
cast his ballot. He was pushed ant
jostled by large crowd of colOre'
men who were hanging about thI
doorway, but managed to make hi
way inside after a considerable wait
The length of time taken by him {
cast his ballot indicated that he ex
perienced no great difficulty in findini
the names of the candidates for whom
he desired to vote. Immediately af
forwards he left for the home of hi
wife's sister on Franklin street.
Taking all facts into consideration
there is every reason to believe tina
the county and city will go Demo
cratic today. OF course there are II
positive facts by which this could b
verified, but well known politician
who have watched the election toda
are of the opinion that the Demo
cratic majority will be EXCEPTIONAL
large.