The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-01
City Election Vote at Noon
Today Largest Known.
Ideal Weather May Bring Out
10000 Ballots.
WOMEN TO POLLS IN FORCE
Telephone Campaign Aroused
Their Interest.
tsStay-at-HOme" Vote Will De-
eide Close Contests.


For Mayor.
J. B. Billiard.
r. L. Cofran.
For Commissioner of Finance and
Revenue.
H. P. Miller.
F. NJ. Newland.
For Commissioner of Streets and Pub
lie Improvements.
George w. Adamson.
w. G.. Tandy.
For Commissioner of Parks and Pub
lie Property.
w. L. Porter.
E.B. Stotts.
For Members of the Board of Edu-
cation.
Margaret Bostic.
p. w. Griggs.
L. NJ. Jones.
Annie Douglas Scott.
c. B. Van Horn.
veteran judges at the polls late
this afternoon say that the vote at the
city election today will exceed all for-
mer ballot records in the history OF
Topeka. 1t is predicted freely poln
around the polls and the city hall, tnal
at least $4,000 votes will be cast be-
fore the doors are locked at O'CLOCK
this evening. This will exceed the
high water mark of 15,345 polled at
the election two years ago when Bill
lard and McNeal, with the city in an
uproar fought out the mayoralty bat
tie.
Bright, ideal spring weather
coupled with a squirt of enthusiasm
displayed by the women of the city
last night, has sent thousands to the
polls today. In practically every pre-
cinct in the city the vote at O'Clock
this morning was higher than the vote
at noon during the primary election
eight days ago
The new vote today-the vote that
did not come out to the primaries
will decide the fate of the doubtful
candidates. This is admitted by ev-
cry man in the race. In all probabll-
ity nearly 5000 persons who did not
go to the polls at the primaries VIII
vote today. Three thousand ballots
will decide at least three of the places
on the city commission. The stay
at-homes'' will decide this city cleo
ton.
Heavy Women's Vote.
There is a view with alarm" Incl
dent in the ranks of the Billiard sup
porters today-the female vote is be-
other city election. Billiard is not be-
ing benefited by the women ballots
and his supporters know it. This fea-
ture alone will mean more in the out
come of the mayoralty fight than any
other campaign prediction. If Cof-
ran is elected today, it will be the
solid female support that does it
and the women are rushing to the
polls-in carriages, automobiles, on
foot and behind baby buggies-
FT~1- @f Nr@fw
paign was climaxed last night by a
city wide appeal to the women over
the telephones. Women were assigned
to nearly every block in the city
they talked with their friends and in
sisted that they enter the booths and
place a cross behind the name of {
Cofran.
1t had its effect 1t is estimated by
conservative politicians that 1000
women are voting today-and a big
majority of this vote will go to
Cofran.
Billiard Still Is Confident.
Billiard is confident of reelection
by 1,50O votes. He says he needs
only one out of three of the eliminat-
ed and new vote to win. The day
of the primaries was disa agreea BILE
and the women did not turn out This
gives the new vote today to the wom-
en- for a majority. Split this gain be-
tween Cofran and BiIlard-and it will
be seen that the mayor is needing
every vote today to win.
1t is possible that the vote between /
the two candidates for mayor will be
as close as the vote in the election
two years ago, when Billiard won by
less than 200 majority.
Uphill Fight for Miller.
The returns of the vote for commits
sioner of WaterworkS and electric !
lights will be watched with interest bv |
hA rn hn fnt
letins this evening. Miller was more /
than 500 votes behind NewIand. his
winning opponent, at the primaries +
In the last eight days Miller has been /
waging a wonderful campaign for /
the restoration of his lost support To /
win from NewIand he will have to /
procure big percentage of the elm /
mated vote together with an even
break on the new ballots today. 1t !
is much easier to find votes in the
primaries than the election, all can /!
didates agree. If Miller FORCES ahead |
of Newland tonight he will have made /
the fight of his life.
Stotts is another candidate who has
been the victim of mudslinging poll |
ties and who has been fighting on the |
defensive the last few days. He has /
a comfortable lead on which to de-
pend for a victory tonight-but the |
vote will be won by narrow margin. |
Returns May Come Slowly.
1t was not until the first car came |
down town the morning after the pri-
mary last week that the results were |
known 1t will be as late when the |
vote is counted after this election-at
least the election commissioner can
not promise an earlier result The
ballot will be shorter for the election
tits true-but the names counted will
be the same and more votes will be
in the ballot boxes.
The earlier and more important pre-
cincts Will be reported on the State
Journal bulletin board as fast as the