The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-31
County Ballots Distributed to
Rural Precincts Today.
Total Voting Strength Here Is
More Than 1880.
Candidates in Three Larger
Parties Claim q Victory.
Close Fight for Many Of the
Important Offices.

The Shawnee county ballot is being
distributed today among the rural
precincts Monday the city election
boards will take charge Of the cleo
ton supplies with which they will OPP
crate on Tuesday in conducting the
general election.
In casting their first votes in a gem
eral election the women of this coun-
ty. as in all the state, will be intro
duced to the Massachusetts, ballot
which Is appearing for the first time
in general election. After years of
new type will strike male voters as
unfamiliar There are no party tick
cts. 1t will be impossible, as in for
mer days, to vote a straight ticket
with a single cross mark. The party
affiliation of each candidate, save of
those for the supreme bench. is print
ed after each name, but the party
tickets are not separated.
This fact will deprive many litter
ate persons Of votes, because no as
sistance will be permitted any voter
in making out his ballot, except in the
cases of persons physically unable to
use pencil. No party insignia ap-
pear on the ballot to guide the eye
unframed to read. The unlettered
voter is up against it.
The ballot on which next Tuesdays
vote in this county will be cast for
state and county candidates is nearly
two and a half feet in length by ten
inches in breadth. On it the names
of candidates appear in two columns,
the candidates for United States SEN
ator coming first and the candidates
for marshal Of the court Of Topeka
coming last. By law the order of
names are rotated in different coun-
ties and precincts with a view to Civ
ing each candidate top place in his
.JnrS ~ hat vov f,oys
Of voters. This rule has vastly aug
mented the work of preparing ballots.
sample Ballots Printed.
Apparent lack of clearness in the law
made county clerks uncertain as to
their right to print and distribute SAM
pie ballots before election day. Oscar
Swayze. clerk of this county. took the
matter into his own hands and had
them printed so that voters may be-
come familiar with the appearance of
the new ticket. The form printed in
today's State Journal, is a reproduc-
ton of the ballot which will appear in
certain Topeka precincts. In others
slightly different arrangements of
names will be found. Workers in all
days coaching voters in the use OF the
new form Of ticket.
All Parties Hopeful.
The three more numerous parties are
all hopeful of fine showings in. Tues
days voting. The Socialists, alone, re-
frain from optimistic predictions of
success but even they expect to gather
comfort from the election in an in
creased vote over that Of two years
ago. In the other parties, Progressive,
Democratic, and Republican, claims of
the most enthusiastic nature are set up.
Progressives are inclined to bank on
big following among the women vOt-
kt~n I.A h. Ill <~f
the new party offers attractions of hui
manitarian declarations which neither
of the other leading parties can claim.
Among the Democrats. the success of
the party in the general elections of two
years ago throughout the country, is
regarded as a strong influence for a
big increase in the party vote for this
believe that the power Of Republican
ism has been broken by the Progressive
movement and that the party of JET
ferson and Jackson is on the threshold
of an era of prosperity. Only the most
bouyant Shawnee Democrats, however
expect to elect a full ticket. All fully
expect to reflect a county attorney.
w. f. Atchison. who for two years
has filled that office has been direct
ing his own campaign and expects thai
his record as an efficient enforcer OF
the prohibitory law, will give him a
big vote outside party lines. One op-
ponent. Arthur J. Bolinger, Republi-
can. has worked hard at his campaign
while J. NJ. Stark. the Progressive can
didate has worked along with his par
ty committee which has hung togeth-
err uniformly in an effort to run VI
as good a showing as possible for the
entire ticket.
The Progressives have made no of
fetal estimate of the vote in the coun-
ty. but say that it will be unexpected
ly good on governor and United States
senator. for which candidates they ex'
pect to carry the state. On local of
fees they have boosted particular,
hard for a few offices where it is be
lieved the opposition will prove badl,
divided or weak.