Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-04-14
j. F. LAMONT ELECTED MAYOR.
Democrats viii Control Affairs for Next Two Years.
The Largest Vote Ever Cast.

The city election of last Tuesday
passed off quietly, without any particu-
lar stir before or after the votes were
cast. From the results, the PILOT be-
ing democratic paper, we can say, in
the words of Commodore Perry, 1--WE
have met the enemy and they are ours !"
The results of the election was prolific
of surprises to both republicans and
democrats-the former in the senti-
ment manifested, the latter in their
strength. 1t was the most peculiar
campaign ever conducted in the city of
Wausau-there were so many contri-
buting elements for the party man
ayers to contend with and to be reck-
oned. Organizations which have
heretofore taken no part IN political
matters were quite active in this cam
paign, and it is believed that in the
future these bodies must be taken into
consideration in every election, especial
ly municipal elections. Wausau is
growing. It's no longer city of one
big family, and as the years roll by,
the wheel of fortune will bring contend
ing and opposing elements into our
society, each striving to attain an end
1t has been the history of every grow
ing city, and it is better that it is so,
for what would loaf of bread be with
out leavening and salt ?
Another peculiar feature of this cam
paign was that it was oyster-like when
noise, speech making, brass bands. etc ),
are spoken of. When you asked a man
on the street his opinion regarding the
chances of his party's success, he
would invariably give you an evasive
answer. 1t demonstrated that the peo-
pie were thinking and not telling
everybody their thoughts. There were
few speeches, no brass band music, but
parties and talked over matters. 1t
was admitted on both sides that each
party had good candidate for mayor
and gentlemen who would not attempt
to assail the other and both made new
friends in their campaigning.
Still another peculiar feature was
demonstrated when the votes were
counted The vote in every ward was
the heaviest ever polled and still the
straight party votes were the least in
number. Wards which have hereto
fore cast 60 to 100 or perhaps more
straight tickets, last Tuesday showed
less than thirty. This demonstrated
that the voter is no longer bound by
party ties, but votes for whomever he
chooses. The new method of voting
helped matters in this respect, for this
spring it was much easier for the un
enlightened voter to split his ticket, be-
cause he was obliged to make q cross
after each candidate he wished to vote
for. Still the new method puzzled
some, for number of ballots were
found with only one cross marked-at
the foot of the ballot in the squares re-
served for an expression of opinion re-
garding the adoption of a certain
chapter of the law relating to munich
pal nominations The parties voting
them evidently thought they were vot
ing a straight ticket of some kind.
When the ballot clerks began their
count it was quite apparent that John
f. Lamont, the democratic candidate
for mayor, would be elected, but his
most ardent supporters did not enter
tain belief that his victory would be
so complete as it turned out to be. He
carried every ward in the city except
the Ninth. The greatest surprise came
when the results in the Seventh were
made known. That hitherto strong
hold of republicanism gave him a
plurality of 81. whereas it usually goes
100 or more the other way. The Fourth
and Fifth, too, were surprises, for the
democrats elected their supervisors and
aldermen in those wards and gave the
head of their ticket plurality.
Henry Juers, republican candidate
for treasurer proved the strongest run