The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-05

One of the most unique and stren-
uous campaigns ever known in the old
county of Henrico closed last night,
and at 5:44 A. M. to-day the various
precincts will begin to receive the ball
lots that will spell victory or defeat
for half a hundred aspirants to Office.
AT 6:54 P. M. the contest will close. and
within a few hours the results will ba
known; and many who have been doing
wild guessing for many days will sleep
to might in the certainty of success or
failure.
Just the main contest has cen-
tired since the beginning around tho
position of Treasurer, so will the Nnish
to the fight be- as it is that Office in
the County Courthouse which has been
selected as the gathering place of tho
candidates awaiting the tidings of their
fate. Treasurer Frayser has invited
his opponents. as we'll as other political
aspirants. to join with him in this
"watch-night" assembly, and Deputy
Treasurer O'Bannon will preside at the
telephone and compile the returns.
Difficult to Pick Winners.
On the eve of the election 1t is as
difficult. as 1t was ten days ago, to pick
the winners. Political experts at ths
courthouse admit that they cannot risk
their reputation by guesses at the res
suits: and though some forecasts lave
been published their value is more
than doubtful s.,
In the last Democratic primary about
three thousand votes were cast. AN
neXation of a considerable strip Of
populous territory. together with a
rigid enforcement of the poll tax re-
squirement have reduced the Demo-s
cratic vote in the county to less than
half, a careful estimate of the nuns
ber who are qualified to cast ballots
to-day being placed at 1898.
This is the first election held since
the annexation, and political WISE
acres are looking with anxious eyes
for the result. 1t is generally thought
that the so-oalled Democratic ma
chine" controlled in large measure by
the present otficeholders. had it's best
hold on the people living near the city.
many of whom have been annexed.
The outs assert that the "machine'
has no such influence over the farmers
and Taxpayers of the outlying dis
Etrlcts. The negro has been eliminated
from the primary, and the vote IS
limited almost entirely to the IAN.
paying class, usually a thinking and
reading class, who so to the polls and
vote according to their own Ideas.
With the lack of precedent. there-
fore, 1t is impossible to forecast with
any certainty what the final returns
will show. From the claims OF ths
candidates, practically all have Inquired
1t out to a Certainty that they cannot
be defeated. and VIII exhibit figures
to prove their claims. s#
The Candidates.
OF the candidates for the treasurer
ship, Mr.. George Watt, OF Fairfield
District, has perhaps made the most
thorough canvass, having given prac-
tically all his time for the past SIG
months to seeing the voters In all
sections or Henrico. Mr.. Watt presents
as a claim on the attention of the
voters the fact that he Is the only
trained bookkeener and accountant
among the candidates for position
which is pre-eminently business
proposition. Mr.. Watt was for twenty
six years the bookkeGper and cashier
of a large manufacturing plant In
Richrlond. and has since become re- 4
cognized as an expert aceountant Ilal
has never hefora offered for office.
and is outside of all political aliiancesY
of every sort. Ha has made no deal
with any one, nor has hs appointed
any one as his assistant, MI, Watt 4
has an honorabla army record md