The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-03
may VOTE EARLY.
Polls VIII Open at 6 O'clock
Tomorrow Morning.
Closing Time Is Six in the
Evening.
LITTLE EXCITEMENT.
Council Grove Electric Line Be-
fore the People.
Has Been a "Gum Shoe'' Cam
paign From Start.


tion tomorrow at o'clock in the morn
ing, and close at 6 o'clock in the even
ing.
Women are allowed to vote in this
election for all offices except the judge,
clerk and marshal of the city court
which are cIassed as county offices.
In addition to voting upon their choice
for mayor. councilmen and other city
officers, the people will be given
chance to act on the proposition to vote
s3O,000 to aid in the construction of an
electric railroad toSCouncil Grove. It is
likely that the proposition viii carry
for it means more to Topeka than would
at first appear.
The impression prevails to some eX-
tent that the Topeka, Eskridge and
Council Grove Interurban railroad is
not to be an electric line. This is a mis-
take. The charter was taken out for
a railroad company in order to comply
with the law, but the line is to be an
electric line. All the estimates as to
cost and location are based on electrical
construction. There are seven directors
in each of the counties Of Shawnee, Wa
baunsee and Morris and they all favor
an electric line. The bonds were voted
in all the townships in the three cOun-
ties for an electric line and that is what
is wanted. The great expense in Operat-
ing an electric line is the power. Nat
ural gas viii be piped to Topeka and
furnish the power at the lowest possible
cost.
r. W. Blair and ". H Davis were
both summoned before the El<s lodge
Saturday night and compelled to make
members Of the Elks, and could not
very well escape the task imposed upon
them When they had finished speaking
the lodge imposed a fine Of 50 on each
OF them for making the speeches.
DR.. Goodwin, one of the managers
Of the Davis campaign, was also COM
PEELED to make a speech and then fined
81. It pays to make speeches before
the Elks; that is it pays the Elks.
This literary and artistic campaign
which the Democrats have been making
for the election of their candidates does
not exactly suit the head Of the ticket.
Mr.. Blair wanted to get out and make
some speeches; his steering committee
wouldn't let him.
There are a good many who will be
inclined to think that Mr.. Blair was
right and the committee was wrong.
Blair is a good hand at the speech
making business. He would have warm
ed things up considerably. He is said
to have been very much disappointed
when his committee decided to dispense
with his oratorieal ability and make a
gum shoe campaign. Mr.. Blair even
went so far as to draft a sample
speech, showing what he would like to
say to the people, and submit this draft
to the committee. The committee read
It over carefully, and decided that it
wouldn't DO. Blair was not sore about
it; he simply said that probably the
committee knew more about it than he
did, and put his speech away in his
pocket. Now there are some of the
Democratic candidates complaining be
cause they don't think they are getting
g sufficient amount of advertising.
While the Davis cartoon was being
circulated by the Democratic carriers
on Saturday morning, it was reported
at headquarters that Roy Daniels had
threatened to lick the man that was
distributing them. When this came to
the ears of Mr.. Blair, he said:
Roy Daniels had better begin to
pack his grip, because he may have to
leave town Wednesday morning. If I
am elected mayor, the first thing I Will
do VIII be TO see to it that Roy Daniels
leaves this town. We can't afford to
have that kind of a chap around here,
and we won't if I can help it."
This is a platform which ought to
get Mr.. Blair a good many votes. There
has been a good deal of question
about where Mr.. Blair would stand on
the 5Oint question, but it is pretty GER
tain that he would clean up the town
of questionable characters.
In speaking of his chances for cleo
ton, Mr.. Blair said; Il feel safe in
making this prophecy, that Mr.. Davis
won't get as many votes as he did at
the primaries. He got about 5000 in
the primaries, I believe.
"Of course I realize that we have
an uphill Sight. We have got to over
come normal Republican majority
of about 1000 to start with In n
fight of this kind. where we have to
depend on Republican votes to win, it
is a very difficult matter to figure on
results. It depends entirely on how
many Republicans come over and vote
for US. have talked to a good many
Republicans; some of them WOn't
come right out and say they Will vote
for me, but they are positive that they
won't vote for Davis.
s'If all the people vote for me that
say they are going to, 7 know how this
viii come out. If. on the other hand.
the fight in the Republican ranks is
smoothed out. and the difficulties set
tied. I don't suppose I will even be ia
the also ran class. The indications.
however are very favora BILE and I
believe that we are going to win"
The Democrats intimate that they
are not through with their literary
campaign. They drop some dark
hints about the powder magazine upon
which the Republican party IS sitting
and say that they are about to touch
a match to the fuse This is a very
good plan, but the Democrats should
see to it that the explosion occurs
prior to Tuesday. April 4, or it might
not do much good.
Saturday night Mr.. Blair gave out a
challenge" TO his opponent, Mr.. Davis,
for a joint debate. The Republicans
promptly declined the invitation to en-
gage in an 0ratorical contest with Mr.
blair NIr- Blair's challenge was as fol
1ws.
sMr. ". H. Davis.
a. Topeka, kan, April L, 1905.
ta)ear Sir.
1uI have just learned that at some of
R}ur=meetings where Mr.. Holiday. Mr.