The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-06
DAY is IDEAL.
Election Everything That Could
Be Desired.
Vote Will Undoubtedly Be Very
Large.
STARTED IN EARLY.
People Began Almost as Soon as
Polls Open.
Many Precincts Show a Heavy
Vote.
STARTED IN EARLY

Election day in Kansas opened ram
and clear this morning, with every III
dication Of staying so until the poiis
close al o'clock tonight.
With a shortage of nearly 1000 in the
registration of the city Of Topeka, the
voting commenced at 6 o'clock TINS
morning and has been rather heavy
during the forenoon. The indications
\ are that the city Of Topeka will poll
q fun vote, and the hot fight on the
sheriff and county attorney propositions
will pull out a big vote throughout the
county.
The Republican 'whoopers" are
claiming Shawnee county by from l,SOO
to $500 for Hoch. Two years ago Hoeh
received 3.100 in this county. But the
chances are that Hoch viii do well 10
carry the county by even a small mar
gin. Conservative Republicans eSu-
mate that he VIII get from 500 to l'0OO I'D
this county. The Democrats claim Haf-
ris viii carry the county.
John NJ. Nilkerson Will probably be
elected sheriff by a safe majority over
Thompson, the Democratic nominee,
The election of Frank Foster is IN some
doubt, as a double barreled fight has
been directed against him by both Dem
ocrats and dissatisfied Republicans
The election of most OF the RepuDhcaH
county ticket is conceded by the Demo
Gratis, but Frank Simms, Democrat IS
making a hot fight on the north side of
the river for the office of county COM
missioner
Congressman Charles Curtis Is prac-
tically sure of reelection In the First
district by a plurality Of thousands.
In the state at large, the indications
are favorable to HOch and the Repub-
lican ticket, but little confidence IS
placed by anyone in the preliminary
polls and forecasts of the campaign
managers. Conservative Republicans
say that Hoch Will carry the state by
from s. ZOO to 10000, as compared with
the normal Republican majority Of
10000 in the off years The Republl-
can state committee continues to claim
the election of Hoch by about 10000,
while the polls which it gives out fixes
the figure at so. coo. The fact that the
Republicans discount their own poll so
heavily indicates that they lack con-
ndenco in it.
The bettingis at odds of 2 to 1 or bet
ter that Koch viii wil and some even
money has been placed that Hoch viii
not gain a certain specified majority,
usually 10000 or more. a few bets
were made early in the campaign OF
to j that the low man on the Repub-
lican ticket would have over 10, 600,
but the Republicans have been afraid
of that proposition recently, and offer
no more bets as favorab BILE as that
Here in Toneka good deal of
money viii change hands on the re-
clans and visiting political "sharps"
from outside have from $500 TO $1,000
apiece in the hands of Stockholders,
waiting the result of the voting.
AS matter of fact. the chances are
that neither the Republican or Demo
cratic state committees know the real
truth about the political situation
throughout the state. This is queer
year is the unanimous verdict Of the
oldest political heads in the state
r-nar- have hpeT unable make the
"silent vote" come out from cover
There are thousands Of voters who
have not told and will not tell how
they are going to vote Most of these
voters are normally Republicans and
the fact that they refuse to talk, in
dicates that they are about to vote for
the Democratic ticket.
Take. for example, the Santa Fe
general Offices in Topeka The great
majority Of the office clerks are Re
Dublicans. But when anyone tries to
ind out what the Santa Fe Offices are
going TO do in this election, he viii be
baHed by silence at every turn. one
of the best posted men in the offices
said a few days ago.
"You ask me what the office vote is
going to do, and I will say that you
know as much about it 1 do. There
is no talking being done. The men
won't tell how they are going to vote"
The same is true in hundreds of To-
calitfes throughout the state. People
are not telling how they expect to
vote Consequently, it is possible that
there may be some very unusual
things develop as result of the ball
1oting today. A landslide to Harris
may have developed unknown to the
eDenocrats as we'll as to the Repub-
Hcans The chances are. however
that even If Harris wins he viii be
unable to pull the rest Of his ticket
through with him. Overmyer and
some OF the Democratic candidates for
railroad commissioners viii probably
run the best show of getting through
In case Harris wins
A prominent Shawnee county Dem
ocrat said today that in his opinion
Harris viii not only be elected, but
that two Democratic candidates for
railroad commissioners would also be
elected He did not think that David
Overmyer would run as we'll as the
Democratic candidates for railroad d
commissioners.
The Republican and Democratic
state and county central committees
Will each keep open house this even
ing for the reception Of returns. The
Republican state headquarters at the
Copeland and the Democratic head
quarters at the ThrOop Will be open
constantly until the result Of the cleo
ton is determined.
Slow IL First Ward.
A trip among the voting places in
the First ward which comprises
North Topeka, and the Second ward.
which takes ia the eastern portion of
the city. including Parkdale. which
was made between the hours of eleven
o'clock this morning and one O'Clock
4hfs afternoon. disclosed the fact that
In these wards The vote was being
0olied a trifie slowly Ia but few in
stances in any of the precincts hardly
Lore than one-third of the registered
vote had been enrolled uD to the