The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-08-29
(Palladium special)


Indianapolis, Aug. 29.-The next
ten days viii be busy ones among the
political workers all over the state.
Both parties will take the sixty day
poll within the next few days and ON
the result of this poll will depend
much of the work that will ba done
DUNG the campaign. Both sides hope
to get through the sixty day poll a
pretty fair idea Of what the actual
political conditions are over the state.
1t is admitted that the sixty day poll
will not show how the voters are go
ing to vote In November. but it will
give the campaign managers fair
index to conditions and show them
the kind and class of work which will
have to be done in the various coun-
ties and localities.
It is the expectation. too. that the
poll will show up the disaffection that
exists in many places. Both sides ad-
NIT that there are local troubles in
their ranks. as there always are at
the opening of campaign. This con-
dition is never confined to any one
party. The republicans are having
are the democrats. Each side insists
of course, that the troubles are local,
but whether this is true or not re-
mains to be seen. But, at all events,
the poll will disclose the location and
extent of these disaffections, and the
campaign managers can then go to
work on them to straighten them out.
1t is understood that both sides will
employ some new methods this year
in taking the sixty day poll. but just
what, they are Is not made public.
Careful tabulations will be made of
the conditions as they are found by
the poll takers. Republican State
Chairman Lee Is claiming that the re.
publicans will carry the state by a
good round majority, but he is not
maging any figures. On the other
hand Stokes Jackson, democratic
state chairman,is claiming the state
for the democrats by 100000 But
Jackson made loud claims two years
ago that the state would go democrat
ic by 10000 to $4,000 and right up to
the last minute he was claiming that
the entire state ticket would be elect
ed by big majorities. But when the
returns came in it was found that only
three democrats on the state ticket
were elected, and that two of them
had small margins.
OF course, the figures compiled
from the sixty day poll are never
made public, and for that reason the
public will never know what they
showed. For either side to make
known its figures would be placing in
the hands of the enemy the innermost
secrets of the other fellows campaign
Each side will, however, continue tc
make it's claims. Just as it is doing
now, and therefore the poll will be OF
service only to the managers of the
campaign.
There are more than 3,1OO pre-
ceincts in the LOTT townships OF the
go counties in Indiana 1t will take al
least three men from each party to
take the poll in each precinct. This
will mean that fully ten thousand re
publicans and ten thousand democrats
will be engaged in poll taking, OF
twenty thousand in all These men
have to be paid by the local organiza
tons. Usually they are paid So a
day for poll taking, and it takes two
or three days to complete the work in
most of the precincts. Therefore. the
10000 men will earn probably $4,000
a day and this will make the total
cost of their services run up to some
thing like 100000 for the entire
work.
In addition to this enormous ex
pense, the state committee has to fur
nish the poll books, In order that
they may all be uniform. Ten thous
and poll books cost about $1,000.
After the poll is taken the books are
returned to the local chairman and
then the clerks are set to work max
ing copies and compilations from
them. The doubtful voters are class
flied, and SO are the disaffected and
disgruntled ones, in order that work
ers may call on them and try to bring
them around into line. This all costs
money. too.
So, it is plain to be seen that the
next few days will not only be lively
days among the political workers. but
thatthey will also be expensive days
Further to add interest to the com.
ing few days. Governor Marshall will
be at his desk at the state house,
John w. Kern will be at home, and
Senator Beveridge will return from
his vacation in New Hampshire. All