The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-24


Predicted vote of 5000. largest in !:
: history.
Polls close at o'clock !:
: midnight !:
Bulletins at State Journal office this !:
evening. !:
Regular election Tuesday, April l.
TWO candidates will be nominated ::
for each city commission position and !:
: five for school board. ::
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Cool, bright, crisp weather greeted
the municipal patriots today and it is
predicted at the city hall this after
noon that the count on the balloting
of the city primary election will break
all records for voting in Topeka. With
a registration of 19438, the largest in
the history of the city, politicians are
guessing that more than 10000 votes
will have been cast when the polls close
at o'clock this evening.
At the primaries two years ago Il, ,991
persons voted. At the election the vote
was 15,643. The registration this year
is 1,200 more than 1911 and it is neces-
sary only to poll 400 more voters of
one-third the registration 70 go over
the 16,0 900 record breaking mark set for
today.
The weather, the interest taken in the
closing hours of the campai yn and the
increased enthusiasm caused by the ac-
tivity of the women has been instru-
mental in bringing out a silent vote
that has been dormant since the cam
paign opened Despite the fact that
only 26 candidates are in the field the
unusual rivalry between the candidates
for several of the offices and the
eleventh hour charges and count err
r have Of
voters to make known their choice to-
day.
Count Will Be Fast.
w. H Kemper, city election COM
missioner, promised late this afternoon
that the judges and clerks tonight
would count on an average of four bal
lots minute This means that be-
fore II o'clock tonight practically all
of the precincts will have their tally
sheets registered at the city hall 1t
means that the result of the primary
will be known before midnight and that
the usual delay far into the next day
will be avoided.
AT the polls today little trouble is
experienced by the officials of the
polls. At one precinct it was discov-
cred that only one judge was accom-
panying the illiterate voters into the
booths-he was read the law and the
practice was stopped Immediately At
other places the judges of previous
elections had failed to stamp voted"
on the books and it was necessary to
call on the county clerk for a vertical
ton of the vote. No other irregulari-
ties were discovered and no police
patrol was necessary to keep order
Women as Officials
Topeka today is voting with women
as judges and clerks for the first time
in the history of the city. In all. 26
women are stationed in the polling
places. Their work has been rapid and
efficient and the city officials are well
have a majority in the polling places
are insisting that they will turn in the
first reports tonight and the rivalry is
intense. The men have declared that
they will uphold their previous records.
The heaviest vote this morning
came from the precincts inhabited
mostly by laboring men Here the
voting before working hours was
heavy-heavier than in years before
At noon today the other precincts
made consistent gains over the vote
in 1911 and on these showings the
city hall is basing the prediction of a
record breaking vote.
Mayoralty Fight Is Close.
From the reports today it is ap-
parent that the lace for mayor is
three-cornered. 1t is between Bill
lard, Cofran and Hughes. Cofran
has made a wonderful advance in the
last few days and it is known among
the Billiard supporters that Cofran is
the man most feared -by the admins
tration candidate The fact that Cof-
ran has been in the mayors chair, has
been an efficient official and has been
the victim Of a dark horse adver
tiseInent in a German newspaper has
won him hundreds Of supporters. He
will poll many Billiard voteS+this is
another feature the Billiard supporters
fear.
Hughes is also making a wonderful
fight for the nomination. 1t is be-
tween Hughes and Cofran for the
nomination against Billard-this is
practically assured. Hughes is re-
ceiving a heavy woman vote, he is
popular and has served as city coun-
Gilman and mayor. He is a strict
making a brilliant campaign along
these lines. Billiard with mis- excellent
three-year record as mayor. Cofran
with his past records and Hughes with
his popularity-it is one of the pret-
test primary fights in years.
1t is claimed now that the adver-
tisement in the German paper point
ing out Cofran as a victory for lib
eral citizenship in case he is elected, !
was written in the office of the news
paper Cofran did not authorize it's
and the man who sent the |
write the sentence referring to lib .
eraI'' politics
Great Race by NevIand.
The real scare among the commits |
sioners is the fight of F. NJ NewIand |
for commissioner of waterworks and |
electric lights against H. p. Miller, the /
occupant of the office. Miller, two |
wears ago, polled 7,11s in the primary |
and S.126 in the election He drew !