Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-08
ELECTION DAY HERE
Sunday Calm Pervades the
City.
In TIE DEPARTMENTS
DESKS ARE DESERTED BY CLERKS
AWAY TO VOTE.
Incidents at the Market and Railroad
Saations-Where Returns VIII
Be Received.
IN TIE DEPARTMENTS

washington presents the usual eioct,o,
oay anomaly today in that, while there is
no iocahty which possesses and feels so
ucep an interest in the result OF the political
'eS. "mch mas now reached its climax
.iiefe Is no real outward local manifesta-
,ion or that interest This is due to tho
Iact that citizens Of the capital CITY ara die
iidhemsed' and are thus rendered incapa
ho OF actual participation I'm the contest
Hanger walking through the streets
ana nnacquainted with the red conditio,.
might easily arrive at the conclusion that
the capital had reached an absolutely ana
thetle state of mind But a little ,nvsstig,
oion would, however be sufficient tn con-
vince MN that his conclusion had hoo,
most erroneous
BUSINESS IN the government departments
Is apparently progressing as usual but
ihiahss ueshs are vacant, their usual occu-
pan,s having gone home to vote" This
appnes as Weil to the higher officials Rut
.wo VI the heads of departments remain In
the city, and the example set by them IA
py the PRESIDENT in going away to vote has
peen followed almost uniformly by fha
cmeis OF bureaus and department divisions
~ say hothing OF innumerable subordinates
IN All the branches of the government worI,
fropa oly the thinning out is not so notice
apIe as In the days before the civil service
era, when position depended ahsoluteIv
upon political activity but n sueioian,
NUMBER sun adhere to the Old custom to
make then absence noticeable. The .ab
~ ~sehce OF the President and his official ad-
Vlsers necessarily rendered IL in,poss;hle' fo
hold the usual Tuesday cabine, meeting
Capitol Building Deserted.
The Capitol building is practically de-
serted None of the official positions in
that building is subject to civil service
rule and most of them are held as a result
OF personal political service rendered In
senators and members of the House Az
a consequence the occupants have in maav
cases, been quite as much occupied during
the past Few months with political affairs
as nave been their superiors The United
states Supreme Court constitutes one ex-
cepuon TO the general rule prevailing a&
the Capitol That tribunal has gone fov-
ward today as usual with its business but
even the members of the court have shown
themselves to be not totally divorced from
the general concern by sending out fire.
quently Tor bulletins showing the progress
or the contest. In addition to the fact
that political and social life has brought
them into close contact with President
Roosevelt they feel an exceptional per-
sonal interest in Mr. Parker because of his
eminent position on the bench, and re-
gardiess or political leaning they have not
hesftated to manifest 1t.
There has been no change whatever in
the business districts, and shopping pro-
ceeded as usual. The actual citizens Of
Washington, who hold no office and have
no voting residence elsewhere. were ap-
parently no less interested than others IN
the outcome, for anything that can affect
national politics is of general concern in
Washington, and this concern is especially
strong when the administration is in
Yolved In no locality will the newspaper
bulletins be watched more closely tonight
than in this city.
A Sunday Quiet.
What is generally spoken of "a SUM-
day quiet was observable In all parts OF
Washington today-"a calm before the
storm" as an avenue merchant termed It.
Work in the government departments was
almost suspended and groups of clerks as
sembled in the corridors and office rooms
and discussed the probable outcome. OF
course. with most of Uncle Sans workers
suit would be -four years more for Roose-
velt and this feeling was shared to a
greater less extent in places other than
the federal departments.
In the vicinity of Center Market. where
farmers from the nearby districts of Mary
land and Virginia mostly congregate. the
sentiment was largely in favor of Parker
and Davis. At the railroad depots belated
voters in contiguous counties hurried to
catch the outgoing trains in order that
they might reach their respective polling
places and cast their ballots before sum
down, when the polls will close.
One Vote for Roosevelt.
A sturdy Virginian, wearing his top
boots exposed and carrying pair of sad
die pockets across his shoulder exclaimed
as he bid his friend, Attorney John Lewis
Smith goodbye at the 9th street railroad
station:
Il must catch this train. kntw old vir-