The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-04-07
WOMEN TAKE PART
IN ELECTION
CONTINUED from page II

Illegal SOlSIS.
A collarless man and his wife, snail
billy dressed and carrying baby, Ell
tered a precinct OF the 18th war
where Miss Harriet E. Vittum, nor
partisan candidate for Herman,
concede good chance to win.
I've want to vote for Miss Vfttum.
he told an election judge.
What she running for?"
Alderman" answered the judge.
Il though it was governor" salt
this man, "but it's all the same. Sht
took care OF our kid once"
In another precinct OF the same
ward. a $50 pound man emerged from
an automobile, closely guarded by his
100 pound wife. She was Juggling al
his coat and whispering excitedly az
they walked toward the voting place
I'D like to, mamma, I'd like to-
bystanders heard him sputter, "but
you know I've voted the republican
ticket all my life
Complaints that the women were
taking more than the five minutes
time allotted and were blocking the
polls in some precincts came more
frequently from millionaire" north
shore precincts than any other Sec
ton of the city. On the west side.
were several hundred women en-
ployed In stock yards Industries cast
their ballots early, and in other sec
tons peopled by many working wom-
en- there were few complaints.
One extrayagantly dressed woman
in the twenty-third ward proved that
the feminine mind changes even on
election day. She had dropped her bal
lot in the box and was moving out to
her electric when she faced about and
re-entered the polling place
Just hand that ballot back to ms,"
she drawled. Il think I shall vote
for Mr.. HIGHLANDER after ALL" The
election judges smiled. They left it
to woman election clerk to explain
that it could not be done
At noon the election board estimated
that 100000 women had cast ballots
and on the strength of the figures 1885,.
900 of the 2lS.000 women registered,
will have voted before the polls close
at p. m. The male vote up to noon,
was estimated at 10000, the women
casting proportionately much heavier
vote than the men in the forenoon
hours. The total vote, the board es-
timated will approximate half mil
lion, the largest of any city of the
United States. Low hung clouds short
ly before noon gave way to streams of
sunlight. The sun shone down on So
ciety women in rich furs. wives and
mothers Of the average citizen, office
girls, washerwomen and Polish and
Lithuanian women OF the stock yards
district standing in line, awaiting their
turn at the ballot boxes, while squad
rons OF motor cars flew about the city
urging registered women to vote.
Arrests. gun play and alleged at
tempts to intimidate and brow beat
women voters we're reported from sew
eral precincts but on the whole, elec-
ton day was passing off rather more
quietly than usual. Members of the
election commission personally took
charge Of the situation in the first
ward where Miss Marion H. brakes
spectacular fight against Bath House
John" Coughlin, brought threats OF
violence to women voters and allega
tons OF attempts at wholesale frauds.
Information furnished the election
board at noon led members to predict
that the injection Of the heavy women
vote into city politics would cause no
radical changes in the political COM
plexion of the city. Except In the
ward where eight women candidates
were drawing heavy suffrage support,
the election showed that women yot-
ers were apparently casting their bal
lots for candidates of the same politi-
cal parties as their male relatives.
Followers of Bath House John"
this afternoon offered heavy odds that
the "Bath" would be returned win
ner over Miss Drake by a plurality!
ranging from 1000 to 5000 THE |
Bath held TO f7.s prediction that ns
will get mere II the 1000 registered
women voters in his ward than Miss |
Drake. Miss Harriet E. Vittum, presi- /!
dent of the Woman's City club was be- |
iieyed to be making the best run OF /;
the suffrage candidates as non-parti- |
san candidate for alderman III the sew |
Illinois cities where the wet and dry |
issue Is being 3e' !ded today reported !
that wou on were casting heavy vote !
and very dry.
Commission Plan Issue.
KANSAS CITY, April THE day
when the voters have their innings
and the spell binders are given a rest
opened cold and threatening The
campaign which closed last night has
hcen one Of the hntt ast In the histnrr