Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-11-07
LESLIE'S LATEST SCHEME
Wants Court Order to Fsrcs People to
Vots for Hin.
DAVE" MERCER BUILDS HIS HOUSE AGAIN
Last Round Up of Politics Before
the Election Tells the
story IN the Voting
Booths.
Election Today

Election Today.
Election weather-Fair and warmer
Polls open, 8 a. m. to 9 p. m.
In the final desperation Of impending de-
feat Charles Leslie is said to have con-
cocted a scheme that s to land him in the
office of county judge by forcing people to
vote for him whether they want to or not.
He is convinced his only hope lies In being
carried through by straight party ballots
and in preventing people from voting mixed
tickets. In the knowledge that the people
are new TO the use OF the voting machine
and will require the assistance of election
officers to assist them in its operation he
has had papers prepared to apply for a
court order to prohibit the election officers
from giving such assistance to the voters.
The plan lie to ask for the writ at the last
moment so that the election boards will be
tied up and the voter unable to operate
the machine by himself. will be forced to
pull the straight ticket knob or not vote at
all.
mo legally qualified voter should allow
himself to he scared of from having his
vote cast just the way he wants it," said
well known lawyer THAT is his constitu-
tional right and more than that the law
expressly provides that any voter can have
an election oficer set the machine for him
according to his directions. All the voter
need do by himself is to pull the lever that
registers the vote. No court order can de-
prive him of this right or prohibit the cleo
ton officers from rendering this assistance"
Dave Mercer is in Omaha on the point
of again building his often built house. He
I 80 taA
time since the Horse Show. and II is given
out that the contracts are about to be let
for a $4,000 residence on a piece of ground
near Fortieth street In the swell residence
| district. This is said TO account for the re-
newed political activity OF Blackburn and
the interest Mercer has been devoting to
the candidacy of some of his friends who
are running for Office, all of which is a pre-
liminary to the campaign next year in
which Mercer expects to figure.
County Clerk Drexsl and his assistants
are the busiest people in town, getting out
the necessary paraphernalia for the cleo
ton boards. Wagons were hauling away
! ballot boxes and the clerks were making
up packages of stationery and other sup
plies These include books, blank return
sheets, candles pencils. sealing wax and
| other things necessary to make proper
| record of the judgment of the freemen of
| Douglas county.
| One feature OF the short registration not
! heretofore noted is that It appeals to the
| Judges and clerks as promising light work.
| Some precincts are anywhere from fifty to
$50 short of the registration of 1904 and the
work of the election officers will be proper
tionately easier.
At republican headquarters Chairman
Gibson, while disappointed at the failure
to get out a larger registration. expressed
a serene confidence in the result. He said
he felt confident the ticket would come
through victorious. Secretary Greevy was
equally optimistic ''rbe, shortage in the
| registration" said he. us, greater in pro-
portion on the side of our opponents All
we have to do now is to get the vote out
and our candidates will be elected by sub
stantial majorities."
Frank Bandie. candidate for register Of
deeds. said:
IT probably had as hard a row to hoe
as any man ever had on the county ticket
and for a while was bit dubious. For
the last few days however there has been
a steady indication that the republican
ticket has been making stronger appeals to
the judgment Of the voters
No man on the ticket has a wider ac-
oaintance than County Treasurer Fink. and
he has the kind of friends who will not de-
ceive him as to conditions.
1T find" said Mr.. Fink, "the misrepre-
! sensations concerning myself put forth in
the interest OF Mr.. Fleming have reacted
for the benefit of the whole ticket Demo
; Gratis have come to me- friends of the gen.
eral democratic ticket, and have assured me
! that the very apparent effort to center or
my opponent all the strength the Hitch
I cock crowd can control has disguised the
/. friends of Flynn. Drexel and Deuel.. Tracy
| and Mengedoht followers also see their can
. didates are being sacrificed to the vindictiv,
! feeling of Hitchcock against myself. have
r no doubt whatever about the result"
The result of the voting should be know
shortly after o'clock Tuesday evening
n This is the judgment of the experts II
e charge of the machines and who have in
! structed the judges and clerks in their du
g ties. Said one OF the custodians:
a IAN average set OF judges ought to b.
Z able to make very quick work of taking OF
h the record when the polls close. While /
; was somewhat difficult to make some o
! the election officers understand the opera
II |
them have a good knowledge of what is t
: be done and can do 1t quickly and cor
: rectly."
Z Registration figures compiled in the cit
: clerks office show that 1885 citizens
h Omaha have qualified for the election Tues
y day and the primaries next spring. Thi
4 is about 5000 less than the total in 1904.
o presidential year. On October q, this yea
a $500 voters registered on October 1s. LII
- and November 4. SIN. On Saturday III
IS republicans numbered 1895, the democrat
s. 1873. independents 81 populists 4. socialist
& 90 and prohibitionists 6.
o, Councilman Pete Back has said he favol
a. electing no councilman from the Fourt
ia ward until after thirty days shall ha'
I'd elapsed from Councilman Nicholson's deaf
4; Inasmuch as Mr.. Backs attitude is SUI
- posed to be the key TO the whole situatio
re this statement is looked upon in the ligl
I'd OF a ukase at the city hall.
m Councilman Huntington said: Il don
re think any action will be taken for at lea
az thirty days: that is. not unless somethir
oi happens that would make It seem nece
sary."