The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-02-27
Chicago Needs $1,000 Guardians Of the
Ballot When The voters VIII
Choose the New
Mayor.
9 rs BITTER CAMPAIGN
River Wards and Black Belt Are Por.
tlons of the City Where the
Frauds Are Ex-
pected.

CHICAGO. Feb. 27.-On the eve OF
one of the bitterest battles In Chi
cago's political history $4,000 guar
dians of the ballot, recruited from the
various mayorally camps and by the
election board, are awaiting the call
of reveille. With this great army Of
challengers, watchers and flying
squadrons' of Inspectors rests the
question as to whether the city to-
morrow is to be the scene Of riotous
disorder or whether peace is to be
maintained.
This army Of ballot guardians yes.
terday was being schooled by the
chieftains and this morning received
officials commissions from County
Judge John Z. Owens, Each mayor
atty candidate will be allowed one
challenger and alternate, in addition
to his watchers, in each precinct. In
addition a flying squadron Of more
than 400 special election inspectors,
which has been created by Judge
Owens, will be given credentials and
in the afternoon will attend school
of instruction in the rooms Of the
election commissioners
The great list of challengers and
I watchers which Judge Owens author
lied on the petition fled by the ''reg-
4 ular' democratic organization last
Saturday was seing prepared yester
day by the various organization lead
! ers Every camp was hnmming. The
candidates were making their near
final speeches at meetings throughout
the city and the bungs to the cam
paign barrels were being pulled
The invasion of the regular organ
ization bailwicks by the rival chal
lengers, made possible by Judge
Owens order, means that every spare
penny of the big campaisn funds will
4 be turned loose.
The bitterness Of the campaign, par
I ticularly on the democratic side, ma.
lead to strenuous times at the polls
To offset rioting the flying squadron
of inspectors, will be kept on guart
at polling places where trouble is an
ticipated and the election commits
sioners themselves with their regula
investigators, will make tours through
out the districts where the interest
HIGHEST.
The wards where the Graham an
Harrison forces have split the demo
cratic organization will be under th
f closest guard by the inspectors. TIL
decision of Judge Owens makes
possible for these two forces to IL
wade each others territory and as tn
e feeling has been particu arly higl
= clashes may occur. This is partic,
: larly true in the river wards" on th
west side, in the first ward, wher
n the Kenna-Coughlin organization is
J. control and in the 'black belt po
s tions.. OF the second and third ward
0 where Bob" MOTT has been Ielle
n upon to handle the vote. In tn
"lodging-hou districts of the twel
ty-frst ward, where the O'Malle
Graham combination controls th
"suit case" vote, the Harrison cha
lengers will be active.
The inspectors under the directio
e of Judge Owens will work principal
in the first, second, third, fourt
fifth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, thirteent
fourteenth, eighteenth nineteent
A twenty-frst and twenty-second ward
,e Yesterday Chief Investigator Pa
e Matthews of the election board col
s. piled list of 5000 suspects livir
in these wards, which will be turn'
over to the election judges.
A majority of these alleged illeg
r. voters registered through afFidav
an Their right of franchise will be que
es toned when they appear at the pol
H. In addition to this, the election boa
Id caused notices to be published in t
IL foreign-speaking newspapers, givil
in instructions to voters