The Washington times., 1915-04-06
Female Ballots May Decide EIec-
tion--Record. Breaking Vote
Is Brought Out.
FIGHTS KEEP POLICE BUSY
On Political Form SWeitzer,
Democrat, Should Win-Un-
know Issues Appear.

CHICAGO. April 6.-Riotous scenes al
the polls marked the most exciting Chi
cago municipal election in twenty years
Fights between adherents of William
Hale Thompson. Republican, and lob
ert M. Sweitzer, Democrat, kept the
police busy.
A record breaking vote is being cast
There is registration of 16slo6; men
4sS,sl5, and women, 2S2,29l. After two
hours of voting campaign managers SAID
they expected "A vote of from 62o,Wo TO
coo. On political form the Sweitzer
forces should N Wn Thf tbs .hyse Women Note
How will the Harrison Democrats
vote; al how will the unemployed
The Republican forces have brought
the question of unemployment into the
campaign and expected to gain votes
among idle employees of the Illinois Steel
Company and other big concerns.
Result Still a Puzzle.
Former Mayor Carter ii. Harrison,
who was defeated by Sweitzer for the
Democratic nomination, has been silent
in the campaign, while many of his
chief appointees have been working for
Thompson. Behind Thompson. who has
been a friend of Lorimer, the Deneen
Republican machine, and the Progress,
stves. led by Charles f. Merriam and
A. =; Revell: have lined ,pI. up: ,,on,.,hs on the
both candidates take about the same
stand. Religious. racial and other is
Ouas have been used, and for that rea-
son the result Is a puzzle.
II 70 the first election for mayor al
which women have voted. The weather
was clear and Just right for Easter
suits, and thousands of feminine voters
locked to the polls.
Thompson men have pointed to Roger
q Sullivan and the "aas crowd" be-
Hini sweitzer. and Sweitzer has raised
tie Iortmer issue against Thompson
Has Served Five Terms.
Tho election marks the passing from
public life Of Carter II. Harrison, mayor
Of Chicago. Son of Carter II. Harrison
the frst, who was assassinated while
serving as Worlds Fair mayor OF Chi
cago. in 1898. Harrison. End. equaled hi.
fathers record Of five terms, and &C
tually served two more years than hi!
father. as his last term was for fou,
year. while his fathers five terms anc
each.
Harrison lost the Democratic nomina
ton to Robert NJ. Sweitzer in a fgh'
that was complicated by many issues
several due TO the feeling engcndered
by the European war. Primarily, how
ever. Harrison lost because the strap
hangers blamed him for the miserable
transportation facilities In Chicago
During his term just closed there was
some practical solution Of the situation
which has marked Chicago as the slow
est of all cities to arrange for the trans
portation of its workers. Harrison pro,
hat IL lt,N~ 4
allied with existing transportation cor.
porations had rendered him helpless.
Harrison An Easy Boss.
Carter II. Harrison was an easy
boss" Handsome, priding himself on
ancestry and family. being mayor was
distinction. Few men ever questioned
his personal or business honesty; none
successfully. His liquor policy was lib
eral In accordance with what he belev.
ed the people wanted, during his rule
and those of Dunno and Busse the city
grew bigger, more prosperous, many
streets werc unlighted: more unswept
Police graft flourished. The CITY was
nverrun with crooks. Murders and 9TH
er crimes against person and property
was experiencing growing pains, ana
Its revenue for police. light. cleaning
etc, was not at all commensurate with
the wonderful growth. 1t had outsrown
short pants, but didn't have the money
TO buy lonG ones, and lacked capacity
to save or earn it. The growth Of the
city parks and boulevard system was a
bright and notable exception.
Both Sweitzer and Thompson arc re-
garded as extremely liberal in so far
as tie liquor question is concerned. anc
tho campaign has been marked by fre
quent forecasts of an open city, no mat
ter who wins.
AS soon as the winner is seated. Car
ter Harrison Is expected to visit the
Pacific coast with his family His wife,
who was Edith Ogden, is a noted writer
and a woman of beauty and charm
who has long desired her husbands re.
tirement from politics. In case of CON
tinued national Democratic success, II
is believed that Harrison will be an
pointed to some diplomatic post of note
career without again appealing to the