The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-04
ELECTION Is QUIET
Blair Showing Up Strong in
Some Localities.
A Fairly Heavy Vote Is Being
POlled.
THINGS &c SMOOTHLY.
Not a Ripple to Disturb the
Surface.
Much Scratching Is Reported
Everywhere.
THINGS &C SMOOTHLY.

This Is a QuleL ana uneVenLIul cleo
tion day The polls opened at 8
o'clock this morning, and will close.
at O'Clock this afternoon. The
weather was perfect during the morn
ing but has been showery during the
afternoon Indications are that
fairly heavy vote viii be polled-
The Republicans have three or four
carriages at work at every precinct.
The Democrats are making an active
fight in some precincts
Down in the Second ward, and also
in the First. the vote is heavier than
in the precincts in the west part Of
town. In the west part of town the
women's vote is very liaht indeed.
owing to the small number of
names on the ticket, the chances are
that the counting of ballots viii be
completed very early this evening
The result can probably be announced
by 10 o'clock.
There is said to be a good deal of
scratching People are taking a good
deal Of time to mark their ballots.
In the Second ward there was "A,
rush of voters in the hour between 6
and clock. In the third OF the
Second 4 a votes We're cast in the first
hour; in the second of the Second 35
votes were cast in the same length
of time.
The Republicans in the Second ward
were very much worried this morning.
They said that Blair was getting ire
mendOus vote. Later in the day they
came to the conclusion that things were
coming around all right.
The election of Joseph Griley in the
Second is practically conceded by the
Republicans. Czriley says he viii have
a bigger majority than ever before. He
says there is no necessity for him doing
h.
1iCan candidate, is evidently much WOr-
Tied at the outlook.
Frank Simms is probably elected in
the First ward over Kutz. though the
Republican machine is making great
fight for Kutz.
Down in the third precinct of the Sec
ond ward, the election board got things
balled Up in good shape by allowing a
lot Of men to vote womens ballots.
Then Leroy Currier a Second ward
politician who was on the board, tried
! to keep a State Journal reporter from
learning the facts in the case
The ballots for the men voters were
in the sacks, just as they were supposed
to be. The trouble seemed to be that
the members of the board who were
looking after that part of the work were
not bright enough to ind them. When
q reporter went to the election place to
ascertain the facts in the case, Mr.. Cur
rier denied that there had been any
mistake. One of the other members of
the board however, volunteered the in
formation that the mistake had occur
red
TT didn't amount to anything: we
discovered it right away Currier then
said.
Meantime Mr.. Currier was appar-
emily swamped in a mixed and mis-
Cellaneous pile of unvoted ballots
which he had collected about him.
The State Journal reporter observed
him hand out a female bond ballot
L. e
they were still using the female bal
lots for the male voters. This ap-
Parenty innocent question made Mr..
Currier highly indignant, and he said:
I'D like to know what business
you've got interfering here, anyway.
We can run this thing, guess and it
don't make any difference to you who
We give these ballots to-"
Currier was evidently considerably
ratified by his blunder. The board had
not even reported their mistake to the
office of Election Commissioner Will
Iams
DR.. Massey went to the voting place
TO cast his ballot, and was given one
of the female ballots. He said:
Il don't want this; I want to vote
for city court officers"
Cant help il" said Currier; sthis
is the best we can do for YOU Thev
didn't send rs any male ballots"
Another man presented himself to
vote, and Currier gave him a ballot
When the man got inside the booth. he
found that the ballot which Currier had
given him was already marked for Ger
tain candidates. He brought the ballot
out and protested. one or two mem
bers OF the board insisted that the man
himself had marked the ballot, and
they had a big notion not to give him
another. But it was finally discovered
that Currier had allowed defective
and rejected ballot to become mixed up
with the pile in front of him. and had
Hng1n Of q al
lot.
IndeIibIe Pencils Sent Out.
Another bad mistake was made at
the Office of the commissioner of cleo
tiOns. In making up the supplies for
the Fifth and Sixth wards new lot
of pencils which had just been re-
Ceived from the stationers We're put
in. These pencils We're of different
style from the others which had been
sent out. but the clerk did not test
them, and consequently supposed that
they were the ordinary black pencils
which had been ordered.
This morning the judges in the first
and second precincts Of the Fifth ward
telephoned in about the mistake, and
Election Commissioner Williams at
once made the circuit of the voting
places. replacing the indelible pencils
with black ones.
Tt is not considered likely that the
ballots which were marked with the in
delfbIe pencils will thereby be invalidat-
ed. The election commissioner instruct
ed the judges and clerks to count them
the same as other ballots
W. H Davis is the Republican nom
inee for mayor; Robert Blair is the
Democratic candidate. 1t is on this
office that the fight centers.
There viii be about 1900 votes cast
In the election today.
Two years ago Mike Heery, the Dem
ocraCc candidate, received 5,168 votes
He was generally supported by the wet
n-znan1 "a Hzau as nv the Llaroonna Ea