The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-27
Not Believed That Sufficient
Votes Were Cast to Con-
stitute Legal Choice
Yesterday
| GENERAL DIAZ IS
FORCED TO RESIGN
ARMY COMMISSION
Attempted-Few Who Go to the
Polls Take Trouble to Vote
for Senator's or Deputies.
Huerta Issues Decree

Mexico City, October 2G.-At the
close of the elections today the iDdica-
sons were ihat not sufficient votes
had been east in Mexico 10 constitute ~
legal choice for the presidency 10 sue
cecd Gen. Victori,,no Hucrta.
No official announcement WAS made
tonight, but IL was unofficiaIIs esti-
mated. Judging from the results in the
capital where II was expected that the
vote would he UP 10 average, that less
than 10000 of the 10000 eligible voters
In the federal district went to the polls.
There nre said to he more than ;;.ae0.0oV
eligible voters in the republic. Ii
would he no surprise IL congress, the
members of which were also voted sor
today. declared the elections void when
that body Is oreanixed aud reYises the
returns.
| The leader of The Catholic party
claimed n long lead, although the. were
unable to estimate the number of votes
poiIed for their candidates, Federico
Gnmboa and General Rascob.
If this claim is correct. II is generally
thought that Gen. Felix Dia. and sennr
Reauenn ran second. The liberal can
hidstes, Manual CnIero and Flores Ma
gon, had no printed tickets at the poll
ing places, their constituents bcIn.s
obliged to write their names ON blank
| ballots.
| President Huertn did not vote. lie
spent the day at his I'opotia suhurba,
home.
i Huerta Issues Decree Today
| y decree will be issued by General
! huerta tomorrow, increasing the army
lfrom $4,000, it's alleged pIesant number.
TO f5o,ogo General Hlei1si proposed
such an increase some finfo a so. but
the congress which he dissolved linn
tied him to 10000
Since the deputies aud senators are
not subject To the election provisions
governing the presidential election. it
IS said tonight that the choice for con-
gress Is assured II il assumed. ON the
! showing so far rs known that the
catholic party Will have a majority in
ibotlt chamber and senate
Examples OF lack of activity in Vot-
ing made at random after the clos
! ing or the polls at three places in
| thiclSly populated districts are:
Eleven votes east out of an eleeible
s0i l2 cast out OF an eligible IS and
| u cast out of an eligible $50 one
suburban polling place reported Il
voters out Of so eligible exercising tha
franchise. These figures are regarded
as fairly representative OF the voting
| in the capital
The nearest approach of any districs
| in bringing out its fun voting strength
occurred in one block whore n mon
We're eligible. Thirteen of these men
cast their ballots. The fourteenth was
| in Jail
! At 10 o'clock tonight everything was
quiet and absolute order prevailed.
No Semblance of Disorder
| Mexico city. October 26-'rhe elections
promised by the provisional President.
General Huerta. were held today and there
was no sembance of disorder in any
! quarter of the city. few patrols were
on the streets but neither police nor
troops had any but their usual duties
| to perform.
The polling places opened at Q O'Clock
In the morning and remained open until
| noon, when the attendants closed the
I booths until in the afternoon for the
midday meal. They were reopened at
3 and closed again at 5 o'clock
| From to o'clock. officials. one OF
whom was designated president" were
| in attendance at each polling place These
officials represented the various parties
and assisted in the preparation of the bal
lot when necessary, but offered ne coer-
eion or suggestion to how the applicant
| should vote.
The election officials appeared to be a
representative class of citizens-clerP~~
small business men. railroad employees
| and shop-keepers of average intelligence
So far as could be ascertalned no gov
ernment employees served I'm this eapac-
| lty.
9S2 Polling Places
The polling places, of which there were
said to be ss2' averaging one to a city
block, We're located in the entrances of
buildings, generally, but in some instances
were set up on the sidewalks or the cor
| ners of public squares Each had a table
! on which were spread tickets of various
candidates. From these the voter made
| his selection, signed, folded and delivered
1t to the president, who deposited II in
the presence of the voter in the ballot
| box.
! Ballot boxes consisted of all sorts of re-
ceptacles from pasteboard shoe box to a
plush covered jewel casket or a glass
| jar borrowed from neighboring drug
store. There was no secrecy about the
voting. All the world could look ON and
observe which ballot was selected.
As the vote was deposited the name was
checked on the registration list. previous
~ prepared through personal visits of a
designated official to the houses In his
jurisdiction. It was not lefts to the vo-
i htion of the eligible citizen to register
his name was on the list if he We're en-
titled by residence. age and other re-
4 qurements to cast vote.
Calero Declines to Vote
1 Manuel Calero liberal candidate, who
was once ambassador at Washington, did
not vote. Instead. he took his family
early in the day into the country After
he returned tonight he said. II under
stand the voting was exceedingly dull.
Nobody appears to believe in the serious
ness of the election ON account of the
i political conditions many refused to vote
/ myself did not Had we had Indirect
balloting | would have done so, but since
it was otherwise did not care to cast q
vote either for myself or any other cam
didate.''
/ Federico Gamboa, candidate of the Cath-