The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-14
LOCAL CAMPAIGN
 ENTERS LAST WEEK
Seems Probable That Second
 Primary VIII be Necessary
SOME SPEAKING PROMISED
So Far the Contest Has Beenea Very Tame Affair, All of the Candi- dates Claiming to Have
 a Good Lead.

The municipal campaign enters upon it's last week today or rather it enters upon the last week prior to the primary which will be held next Monday. It now seems highly probable that there will be a second primary and the two high can dldates will have to run 1t off. It also seems likely that two or three of the candidates for police commissioner and aldermen win have to do the same thing. Up to this time the campaign has been a comparatively tame affair but some of the candidates promise to enliven 1t con siderably before the end of the present week. It is said to be the purpose of at least two of the candidates to have pub lie speeches in one or two of the wards and to give a little refreshments on the side. At last the grafters will come In Tor at least a few whacks at the campaign fund.
 The grafters, association, 1t Is said has been very sore over the lack of mud sling in the campaign and their recep- ton at the various headquarters has not been of the warmest variety known tc munlClpd1
 May Have Joint Debate.
 It is probable that an attempt will be made to have a joint debate between two of the candidates during the coming week and if this is successful there will be some fur flying before many days have passed.
 Very few of the candidates have such thing as issue to contend with. but 1t is proposed that one of them will spring platform at one of these public meet ings and let the opponent answer 1t or produce another with more benefits to the people.
 Just twenty more than three thousand voters will take part in the coming elec- ton and the candidates have been hard at work for the past week in ascertain ing their exact strength as near as pos sble according to promises they have received. It Is remarkable that when these promises are carefully recorded each of the candidates has clear plpr- ality and some of them claim ma jority in the first primary.
 Counting Vote Before Election.
 The votes are counted before the elec- ton by taking a list of the registered voters in each ward and checking off the name of the men who have declared 1 themselves for certain candidates. In this way the managers are able to get a very clear idea of the strength of the several candidates. Frequently however, they are fooled. A candidate of long standing said yesterday that in every fight he had en- tered he had always been able to figure out clear majority from the voting list but that the votes had not always ma terialized.
 It Is said that less money has been spent in this campaign than during any previous municipal contest in the history of Birmingham. The candidates all have been friendly and as there were prac- tcally no issues between them there has been comparatively little necessity for spending money. Usually a large amount of money Is expended on literature and ir maintaining a large clerical force et the headquarters. A heavy expense arises or election day as 1t is necessary for each candidate o have a worker at the polls to look out for hls interests. These work CTS usually cost from s5 to BIO a day and their expenses. Their expenses are not light.