South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-07
J Republican Landslide Upset
ting All Calculations Sweeps
the AIdermaniC Ticket Into
Office Along with Heads.
SIZE OF W0MEN'S VOTE
PROVES EPOCH MAKING
Feminine Interest Increases
with Additional Privileges
and 81 Per Cent of Women
Vote for Thompson.

CHICAGO. April T. A landslide
that upset all calculations swept the
entire republican ticket headed by
William Hale Thompson for mayor Of
victory I'm yesterdays city election
here Official figures today gave
Thompson plurality OF 39.624, an
unprecedented figure. His democratic
opponent, Robert NJ. SweitZer received
a total vote of 251. .3O9. Five months
ago Sweitzer was elected county clerk
by a plurality of $4,000.
TIE grand total Of votes cast was
669, $50 the largest number ever cast
/ 10y any city in the United States. OF
this number 243,3O9 were cast by
women who exercised for the first
time their right 10 vote for mayor in
+ Chicago. The women voters were
overwhelmingly on the republican
side. Eighty-siX per cent of the
women who had registered and SS
lper cent Of the male voters cast their
ballots. This was new record
Usually not more than 81 per cent of
, the eligible voters appeared at the
polls on election day.
Along with Thompson, Charles ~.
Sergal for city treasurer. John Siman,
city clerk. and Hosea w Wells. mu-
hicipal judge, were swept into Of
lice Their pIuralities were a few
thousand votes short of the tremen-
dous plurality piled up by the head
OF the ticket The republicans gained
control OF the city council, electing
% aldermen TO the democrats II.
"Hinl<y Dink" Keeps Scat.
Michael (Hinky Dink) Kenna, dem
ocrat. retains his seat in the council.
His plurality was 4.641 His baili-
wick. the historic first ward. gave
Sweitzer a plurality of $3.50.
Oscar De Priest. a negro, was elect
ed 10 the council from the second
ward. He is the first OF his race 70
become an alderman.
Seymour Stedman. socialist can
dio%te for mayor. received 23,S26
votes. 1T. Hill, prohibitionist, re-
received $500.
Thompson's victory was widespread.
out OF the 30 wards in the city. he
carried %. and all by good safe plur-
alities
Even in the first ward where the
name democrat" has been supreme
and republican" regarded by its
voters as merely a name party in
jected into the ticket 10 keep up the
blance Of competition, the repub-
Hcans got 5000 votes SweitZer won
the ward by $50, more than 1000
below the normal democratic plural
ity.
from a Sweitzer standpoint. all over
the city In the nth. wherein the
democrats won by $500 or 1000,
Sweitzer got a plurality OF III. In
the fO-Uth ward Sweitzer won by
2.246 where his predecessors have
had pluralities ranging from 1000 up
wards
Thompson Invades Democrat Wards.
In the 18TH. which used TO go at
1anuf four n nna GpTr1nCratfo SUpif-
zer won by only 1900.
In the goth. where the democrats
were wont 20 win by 5000. Thompson
got plurality OF 716, and in the oath
p democratic stronghold. Thompson
won by 1900.
Even Roger Sullivan's own ward.
the 14th. where the democrats usually
win by $500. gave Thompson a plur-
ALT yof 1900
Sweitzer carried his own ward, the
18th. by GIL votes and Ahern. the
democratic aldermanic candidate who
two years ago won by 5000. was de-
feated by about 1000.
Socialists Gain Seats.
Men and women divided the re-
sponsibilty OF electing Thompson. His
plurality Is made mp OF S4.O43 men
and about 55.396 OF the new voters.
Two socialists gained council seats.
John q. Kennedy in the 9th ward
and William +. Rodegutz for the
short term in the 18th ward The
only other socialist who even gained a
seat I'm the council was Alderman
Johnson Of the seventh ward. who was
elected during the Dunno administra-
tlon.
In oscar Dc Priest. successful re-
publican in the second ward. the city
council will have the first negro men, !
her IN it's history He won at the
primaries over two other negroes.
Although the womens vote was
epoch making in size. il did not at |
feet the result OF the mayOralty cleo
tion. Approximately 81 per cent Of /
the women voted for William Hale
Thompson. despite the hostility which |
some OF them had shown in the pri- |
mary. From the women alone |
got plurality OF 5O.291, !
with 1900 precincts out OF 1,556 re-
ported
In the February primary Of 1914
only 80 per cent Of those registered /
voted and the registration was 125,-
OOV smaller tIan at the present time.
That indicates the increasing interest
the franchise has had for women.
me progressives were not fac
tor IN yesterdays election, their party
having no candidates except few for
aldermen IN scattering wards Only |
s24 women voted in the progressive
mayoralty primary IN February. In
ne April 1914. election 10. 5O2 women
roted the progressive ticket. while in
ne Novemb bcr. 1919. election the pro-
ESeSsiye wOmen's total was 1918.