The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-07
Edison Company Exerting Every
Effort Possible.
Hacks Under Chaperonage Of
Bert Lucas Are Busy.
USED FOR COUNCILMAN
Trying to Defeat Municipal
Ownership Advocates.
Light Proposition Seems to Be
Safe, Nevert heless.


A comparatively light vote is being
cast today at the municipal election
influenced by the lowering clouds and
threatening showers. The women
voters especially are reluctant In
getting out to the polls and thoueh
extra efforts were put out far and be-
yond that usually exercised at an "off
year" election through the medium
OF pfenitude of carriages and ward
workers, the women could not be in-
duced to come out in large numbers.
The Edison company which is at
tempting to capture the city electric
lighting contract and force the city
plant into the hands OF wreckers, are
bending every effort to defeat the
Dond issue. Hacks at ten dollars
each with workers who receive ample
compensation for their days work.
have been engaged all day long with
lavish hand hauling voters in the
Fourth, Third and Fifth wards Bert
Lucas. ex-sheriff, is managing this
company and openly boasts of the
fact.
The hacks and carriages in some
instances are working for Democrat
candidates for councilmen, and In
each instances are reputed to be used
nominee. In the Fifth ward the
hacks of the Edison company are said
to be helping Skene. the Democraf
nominee. In this instance the rea-
son is not far afield, Councflman
Tandy, the Republican nominee. n =
strong municipal ownership man.
Bert Lucas, who seems to be In
charge of the hacks, told the Repub1i-
cans in the Third ward that he was
using his services incidentally to aid
Councilman Blakely, the Republican.
but leaders Of that party were some
tc
One of the surprises of the day with
regard to the bond election phase IL
the support which the colored peopIe
are giving 1t. In the Second, First ana
Fourth wards. and for that matter In
all OF the wards with the exception Of.
the Fifth, the colored vote seems to
be going for the bonds.
The First ward Is giving it's support
largely to the bonds; there is no queo-
tion Of how the great Second fee18
about the question; in the Third the
sentiment favors the bonds notwith-s
standing the money spent by the Edi-
son company there and in the Fourth
there is not much dfscussion; the peo-
pie just go in and vote,'' as one of the
men put 1t. In the Fifth and Sixth
wards, especially in the Sixth there
was some unexpected strength shown
for the continued municipal ownership
of the city plant.
In the First ward, the Democrats
are conceding to c. E Jordan, RepubIi-
can candidate for councilman. the
fourth precinct. They claim, however.
that they will carry all the remaining
precincts. Scotten's forces have been
particularly active in the first and Sec
ond precincts where Simms. former
councilman has thrown his support
against Jordan. On the other hand
Jordan claims that he will secure three
votes to Scotten's one. THE registra-
ton in the fourth precinct is heavier
than the second and third combined -
said Jordan. 1T will offset anything
that they may have in those two pre-
cincts."
The Russian vote in the first precinct !.
was not as we'll registered as expected
and many of the Russian women who
thought they were registered but were
not were turned away disappointed.
The famous Kaberlein family OF Little
Russia with its numerous members
had but one voter who was properly
registered.
In the Second ward, the campaign
carried on by c. K Holiday was on
par with that of a year ago when he
ran for mayor. Holiday has poured
all sorts of money into the campaign
and he had a machine as conse-
quence that worked perfectly. Hollf-
day without question will carry the
Second ward. The only precinct he
stands to lose to H. P. Miller. the
is Mil1er's home precinct.
Miller threw his strength to the
Third, Fourth and Sixth precincts and
here will naturally show his heaviest
vote. But Miller will not cut any fig-
ure in the former two precincts.
Holiday had fully twenty hacks and
livery rigs all carrying white rib
bon, the Holiday emblem With
every team there was a worker and
every precinct voting place showed
another. In the Fourth, Third and
Sixth precincts Miller had carriages.
His fund on which he is making the
campaign amounted to just $76."
said one of his workers. HE can't
expect to do much with that and with
Holiday promising bon bons to the
women and all this other business"
The old cry of wet and dry which
has been raised at every campaign in
the Second Is not an issue this time,
it is strictly almost without excep-
tfon on party lines. In fact, wet and
dry is not being raised in any of the
wards
In the Third ward the vote was
heavier than expected. The Third
ward has Democratic vote which il
nominaIly one-third of the Republi-
can and this knowledge counteracts
Blake1y, the Republican nominee may
have, though he will not have the
majority that Green had two years
ago when the latter ran for council
man. w. r. Logan will cut down the
difference and add strength to the
Democratic ticket.
In the Fourth ward, everything is up
in the air. Even Louis Fraser. the
Democratic nominee for councilman. Is
not claiming anything. Fraser may
carry the third and second precincts.
that's where his strength lies. Though
Fraser is q law enforcement man. the