The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-11-02
Heaviest VOteEVer
 Is POIIed
Rush of Electors to the
 Voting Places Surprises the Veteran Party Work : CTS Who Puzzle on Its Significance.
Straight Ticket Voting Said " To Be Practiced Through
 out City to An Extent Not Expected By the Election Prophets.

The one certain thing about today's election at o'clock was that the largest vote ever given in a munich pal election in Bridgeport was in pro- cess of being boiled.
 Every municipal election tends to exceed the vote of the preceding one because the growth of the city con- tinues, and because votes increase with population.
 But it was thought that there would be more than a normal increase this time, because there are four parties working each of whom is measurably equipped with funds and leadership.
 At o'clock this morning, when the In the face of the ballot, nobody was quite so sure of how the thing was going and the boosters, who uttered their guesses aloud, plainly exhibited in their voices the doubts that were in their minds.
 The town chairnen, according to custom, kept up the appearance of certainty and with sinking hearts and shaking voices predicted victory, each for his own side.
 The cutting was less than had been expected, though, perhaps more than usual. The disposition of the voters was largely to vote straight for the preferred ticket, and theA lever c1ang- ed over for Walker, Wilson, McLevy or Lee, in the purpose to go the whole distance.
 x Estimates of the total vote were made in many ways. and intelligently made by comparing, the vote for 1918 with the registration for the same year, and assuming for the vote today the percentage of registered vote so ascertained.
 The registration sss in 19 1a s1es=s wa g 1S,364. The vote was 15,5S6, which is slightly more than 84.2 per cent of the registration.
 Those entitled to vote today num- Der 19,439. Take 84.2 per cent. as 16,38s, which ought to be somewhat exceeded because of ,Hne special inter- est
 From this figure it was commonly inferred that the candidate with as many as 5000 votes will win, and that the winner will probably have less than 5000 votes, and will be the choice of less than B 1-3 per cent of the electorate.
 The voting began early and was heavy, so that more than one-half of the usual poll was out before noon, Ian unusual thing.
 The Democratic chairmen were es- tifnating that more than two-thirds of the, vote was out by 1 o'clock. Much to the surprise of the political work CTS, men who, in previous years, never went to the polls without being sent TOT, Id0 -VOt00 U0AOI0 sLAS LCS1AAS obA rived
 The number of workmen who cast a, ballot before going to work was also unusually large.
 Business men voted early. and so nurnerously that a chill fell over the political camps. It was felt that this vote was commission government vote. and inimical to the party form of government. l.
 For the first time in years district campaign managers were chary of statements of how the election was going. The oldest of them were un- certain, except that they all had the feeling that the worst might hap pen.
 There was a marked absence of the class of men who hang about poll ing %plaees. waiting for an invitation.
 There were numerous workers, largely young men who have been voters for but a few years, and many familiar faces of other years were missing.
 Workers at the polling places re- ported that an unusual number of voters who are working out of the city came in the city to vote.