The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-11
GOOD GAIN IN PRIMARY TOTALS
More Than 5000 Added to
Names of Two Years Ago.
Increase in Cost of Holding
County Election.

sent totals OF male and female voting
for the nomination of party candi-
dates.
A little more than one-half Of To-
peka's voting strength went to the
polls for the primaries, but while con-
siderably more than half the registered
men voted, much less than one-half
the women VIII, were quaiifled, dlo SO.
Less than a thousand women voted AT
rural polling places. The story is told
in a few crisp numerals as follows:
Distribution Of 1914 Primary Vote.
Male vote in rural precincts. 2.429
Male vote in city precincts. S.1S9
rota, male vote. 10, 5ss
Female vote ir rural precincts 946
Female vote in city precincts. 1910
Total female vote. ........ 1886
Total vote at 1914 primary cleo
Total vote at isi2 primary cleo
ton ............ S'1So
Gain in voting strength. 800. 6.22S
When the registration books closed
ten days before the primaries W. II.
Kemper, commissioner Of elections, an
nounced that the voting strength Of To-
peka included 8.512 women and 1877
men, a total Of q, 289. Out of that S,5l2
women who were qualified to vote in
the city Of Topeka. only 1910 went to
the polls. The country vote OF women
was light and. since there never has
been a registration there no one knows
what is the possible female vote out
side the city limits in Shawnee county.
The men did little better since out OF
the total city registration of 1877
total number Of 8,139 vot. at the pri-
maries.
Election Cost Increases.
1t cost $1,000 more 10 conduct the pri-
mary just past than did that of 1913. ].
E. Larimer. county auditor, says. This
fact is attributed to the increased cost
of ballots, since the law required that
the number hitherto required be
doubled in order to take care of the
women's votes. Then seven new pre-
cincts have heen organized in Topeka
since the last primary election. and
twice the former number of tickets
were offered for the option of the voter.
The seven additional precincts called
for as many extra polling places. 30
additional election officers. with pay for
both. extra meals for the increased
help and some additiCn mai expense in the
arrangement of ballots.
Two years ago but three tickets en-
tered the primaries. Republican, Dem
ocratic and Socialist. This year tickets
were printed for the Progressive and
Prohibition parties and for the nom
partisan judicial primary election
Where it cost shade under $500 to
hold the last election, this one will cost
very close to $4,000.
Women ut the Polls.
The days when voting places were
thronged with men whose conversation
and conduct occasionally became
rough, when tobacco smoke permeated
the stale atmosphere. are gone. The
entrance of the female voter changed
things.
More comfortable surroundings were
sought by the commissioner of elections.
Women held places on many boards
and did better work on the average
than men have ever done. An examin-
alton of the poll books returned shows
the difference in records kept that re-
fleets credit upon the feminine clerks.
Some Of the books handled by men are
almose unintelligible. the spelling given
some of the names being ludicrous in
the extreme. Here are few samples
of the way men clerks transcribed the
given names repeated to them by wo-
men who went to- vote: Amer.
"Evaln," Cate "Emmer'' Fanny
What the same scribes did to the less
familiar surnameS can only be cOnjec-
tured. 1t is fair to say that most of the
samples given here were taken from a
single book the signature of which
could scarcely sign his own name in a
legible way Some Ct the women who
acted as clerks turned over their own
books in immaculate condition.
Women Voted In "Bunches.''
An interesting observation from the
poll-books is the fact that the names
of women voters are almost invariably
grouped. Sometimes two. but fire.
quently as many as four and six
names are found in immediate Sc
quence. 1t has very much the appear
ance that the feminine voters moved
to the polls in numbers for the sake
of moral support.
This effect. however. may have been
produced in instances, by the fact
that many automobiles were in use
and that the voters thus gathered and
delivered at the polls were usually
women. Another cause might be that
when men and women entered the
rolling places the men customarily
waited while the women obtained
their ballots. Politeness ruled.
Distribution of the Vote.
The male and female vote was dis
tributed in country and city as fol-
lows. according to check made OF
the poll books by Oscar Swayze. coun.
ty clerk. today
Rossville township: Female. SIS
male. ia.
silver Lake township: Female, 40
male. 1913.
Menoken township: Female. 80
male. 96.
Soldier township: Muddy precinc
Female, 20; male. Sc. Elmont pre-
cinct-Female, Is: male, 80. Eas
Soldier precinct-Female, 46; male
113. West Soldier precinct-Female
50: male, 1870.
Tecumseh township: Female. 81
male, ia.
Topeka township: Highland Parl
precinct-Female, 11S; male. 24O
Oakland precinct-Female, 81: male
22S. Bellview precinct-Female, 20
male, SO. Shunganunga precinct
Female, 80; male. Sc. Sutherin pre-
r. M L. l..