The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-07-15
About One-tenth the Normal
Vote Was Cast Friday, the
Voters Regarding Election
a Useless One.
A MAJORITY OF AZ
OUT OF 10 VOTES
Some of the Election Off
cials Did Not Report for
Duty, but No Protest Is
Likely to Be Made.

BY a majority Of forty-two out of a
hundred and ten votes cast. which is
about one-tenth OF the normal vote.
Wayne township exclusive of the city
Of Richmond. was declared dry" Fri
day in the local option election. which
is the first of the kind held in the
county under the Proctor liquor law,
which law superseded the county local
option measure.
No interest whatsoever was mani
tested in the election. Even voters
who had to go past the polls in their
respective districts refused to vote, de-
claring they would not stamp such a
useless expenditure of money with ap-
prOval by casting their vote. Even the
election boards in two of the precincts
did not show up. and four men did the
work which the law requires five to
do
The question as to the legality of
the election in consideration of these
circumstances has been raised, but it
is unlikely it will be tested because
no one is interested enough. The eX-
act cast of the election is as yet I'M
known by trustee James Howarth, but
he estimates it will be in the neighb~s
hood OF $24O If such is the case each
vote cost the township about 81. The
election did result in at least one ap-
parent good. Some of the different
members on the election boards were
delinquent in personal tax. The amount
from the amounts which they should
receive as members of the board.
Idle Most of Time.
What members of the election boards
as reported spent about eleven of the
twelve hours they served in different
amusements. some playing cards.
| Perhaps half the voting population
Of the township passed the polls al
where they we're supposed to vote
They wouldn't leave their buggies
when hailed by any member of the
election board. They said they did
not indorse the election and refused tc
vote. 1t seemed to be the sentiment
of these non-vcters 10 show up the ut
| ter folly of calling the election
| In the first precinct, in which the
normal vote is close to 225. there were
twelve "drys" and seven "wets." II
the second precinct. with the voting
place in Chester. where the norma
vote is perhaps 100, the heaviest vote
of all the precincts was cast. There
were IS 'drys" and "wets" Wayne
precinct No 8 with a normal vote o
close to $50, had 15 dry" and II wet
votes. At Joseph Dixon's home. or
the Abingdon pike. which is precinct
No. 4, the vote was close II for ant
! 10 against local option. In precinct
| No. ), Minnemans school. near FL
liott's Mills. the vote was 10 for and
against. In the latter two precincts
the normal vote is 125 and 225 respect
lively. Only one sheriff served in No
5 precinct. People living directl,
! across the road from the voting place
: in No. 4 did not cross to cast thei1
votes. The total vote was 76 for anC
"a against local option. There wa.
not precinct in the township which
returned wet" majority.
Dry" leaders were not pleased a.
they expected a large vote. However
they belie.e that the election return.
show the true sentiment and regart
the returns of each precinct as tn.
proportion of what the returns woult
have shown had tho full vote beer
jaI