Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-04-03
FOURTH WARD TO
DETERMINE HOW
ELECTION GOES
Drift Towards WesterfeId In
Dictated by Surface Signs
Water. Issue and WineroomS
Claim Chief Attention,

With only one day remaining be-
fore the voters begin TO deposit the
ballots which will tell the story OF
the city election, both the 3oatright
and the Westerfeld men express con
fidence of the most sanguine sort. In
sizing up the situation there are sew
eral elements to be considered
/. 1t is evident that the SEN
timent of the city is strongly favor
able to municipal ownership, each
of the candidates has declared him
self strongly agreed on this important
issue The democrats, however, as
sert that Boatright is a belated con-
vert TO that position and the repub-
leans declare that Westerfeld never.
until he became q candidate, had any
thing TO say for or against city own
ership, so far as the public knows.
3. While the democrats point with
pride to their declaration in favor OF
a Sunday closing law and the abolition
of the wine rooms, the republicans
assert that Mayor Boatright has been
the only simon-pure reformer and
moralist that has ever occupied the
mayors chair, and point to the elm
inaton of the redlight district as
proof,
WY 4NOTihuHf btufot'HuN.
3. The democrats claim that they
have a normal majority of the voters
of the city. which is beyond doubt
true when the party is united, and
that the democracy Of Albuquerque
is fully united in this fight. There
is no evidence of democratic dissen-
sion but what the vest pocket voter
will do when he goes to the polls is
always guandary.
T. The democratic leaders claim
that the popular trend is in their
favor, and that appears to be true,
SO far as one may Judge from sur
face indications 1t is undoubtedly a
fact that Westerfeld will have large
majority of the union labor vote--~in
fact nearly all of it--and there are
approximately 500 union men in AL
buquerque.
on the other hand, ii is generally
conceded that the republicans have
the better organization and that the
skillful generalship Of Captain W. a..
Gillenwater, republican county chair
man, and John II. Wilson, city chair
man. must be reckoped with. They
are exceedingly anxious for the city
to go republican because Of the boost
IL would give the party in the fall
called upon to elect United states
senator, a representative in congress,
Il governor and a full state and coun-
~ ticket. They are appealing to the
republicans to line up solidly for the
effect n victory in a democratic city
would have on the general election.
Fourth Ward Problem.
1t Is generally believed that the
First and Third wards win go repub-
lican by majorities agsregating from
SO to l20 and that the Second ward
win ron up a democratic majority OF
from ~ to $50. The Fourth ward,
with its big vest pocket vote, IS the
point of greatest uncertainty and may
be the deciding factor in the result.
No successful poll Of the Fourth
ward has been made, or probably can
be made. The democrats claim it by
more than Il hundred and the repnb-
Leans claim it by about the same
figure. There is no evidence that the
leaders of either party have adequate
data upon which to base their esti-
mates.
The general prediction is that the
vote will be larger this year than 1t
was two years ago That may be true,
and il may not If the vote should
be about 1900 it is a safe guess that
the democrats will win. If, on the
other hand. it should run much above
$500, as it may, the result would
likely be favorable to the republicans
The registration will be known to-
morrow but the lists do not tell much
about the general results.
The Bonds in Doubt.
The vote on the bonds proposition
is entirely apart from the city cleo
ton except that it occurs on the same
day. only persons who have paid
property taxes during the past year
are entitled to vote, and the number
who actually cast ballots is not ex-
peeted TO exceed about COO
While the platforms of both politi-
cal parties declare for municipal
ownership and the bonds, the best
inquiry that can be made indicates
that the result is likely TO be close,
and defeat is quite possible.
That there is a fear on the part OF
the property owners that the bonds
would not be used wisely, if voted, is
undeniable ana many fear their taxes
may be apprecably increased Those
favoriEg the bonds assert that the
needed legislation for safeguarding
the taxpayers can be secured readily
when the legislature meets, and that
there is really no danger of the mayor
and city council ever having any ac-
tual authority in the management OF
u municipal water plant.
Whether a majority of the tax pay
ers are convinced that they can trust
to q New Mexico legislature to pass
a wise measure TO cure the acknowl-
edged defects of the present law will
not be known until the ballots are
counted Tuesday night