The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-02-24
First Election in Largest Equal Suf-
frage City Brings Out Keen
Contest for VOtes-Politi-
clans Take Notice
SEVEN SUFFRAGETTES
APPEAR ON BALLOT
Heavy Registration Causes Men to
Join in Anti-Spitting Campaign
and War on Street Car
Smokers
TELEGRAM By United Press.

Telegram by United Press.
Chicago. Feb. af.-The first actual
test Of strength OF the woman vote IN
the largest equal suffrage city in the
world was made here today Chicago
women cast their ballots for the first
time since the Illinois suffrage law
was enacted and participated in the
primaries 10 choose candidates for the
board Of aldermen Seven women can
didaies for council seats were on the
ballots today-two progressives.
three Socialists and two Democrats.
Four Of them have opposition In the
primaries. bur the names Of the other
four are certain 10 be placed on the
election ballots for April Z.
Around these four women candi-
dates who must fight for party en-
dorsements most Of the interest in
the outcome Of today's primaries cen
tered. but the suffrage vote played an
even more important part in the other
twenty-seyen wards that offered no
women candidates In these wards
male candidates astonished at the size
OF the suffragist registration on FeDrii-
ary 3. bid against each other for the
support Of women's organizations in
one Of the liveliest primary campaigns
in the city's history. For three weeks
the play 20 the suffragist section OF
the galleries on the part Of alder
manic candidates. city officials and
opposing party factions has been one
OF the mos. important and significant
developments in the political history
ol Chicago Aldermen who discarded
guilds OF tobacco and squirted streams
Of juice reoalessly suddenly developed
discovered that the splitting evil was
the one great crime Of the age. when
women's organizations urged action
uncn them council committees got
very busy and Mayor Harrison and H.
pcllce department even buster The
official word that 15s.026 women had
registered at their first opportunity
had scarcely been given out when che
police began making wholesale arrests
OF persons who expectorated on the
sidewalks.
The antispitting campaign -ss
scarcely under way wien the anti
smoking campaign got under way with
a boom. Il was directed at the prac.
uce Of permitting smoking on the
front platform OF street cars. Various
women's organizations supported by
street car motormen. called the prac-
tice disgusting. pointed out that the
smoke permeated the cars, and de
scended upon the council health com
mittee. The members Of the commit
tee courteously laid aside their cigars
listened to the arguments and prom
ised to recommend an anti-smokins
ordinance for passage.
The haste with which politicians O
both 1ow.brow' and "high-brow" type
have come to the support of measures
advocated by women voters encourag
ed suffrage leaders today to predict
that not only all the women can
didates with opposition will be nom
mated at the primaries, but in severa
wards known opponents 10 woman sui
frage probably will find themselves
eliminated frcm the race. Miss Marion
II. Drake. enographer-suffragis whit
is a candidate for the Progressive
nomination in the first ward, is belieS
ed to be almost certain Of obtaining
the nomination over Karl N Wehls
her male opponent who counts hi
strength among the negro population
in the first. Only 1885 women voter
are registered in the first, but Mis-
Drake will have the backing Of infls
entail male Progressives. If she win
the nomination she will oppose tn
notorious "Bathhouse John" Coughlir
Democrat, in the April Z election.
In the second ward Miss Sara
Hopkins, candidate for the Democrat