The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-07
Despite Heat, They Stayed All
Night on Election Boards.
Violet TaIcum Powder Rolled
I'D in Fragrant Hot Cakes.
BRING FORTH YOUR IRON CROSS
All Hon0rs Due Topeka Women
Who Baked Thru Night.
End of Perfect Day Came After
Another Had Started.

The violet talcum powder rolled up
in little fra grant cakes in spots over
earnest faces, and tiny rills II per-
sDiration rolled between the white is
lands and Joined the miniature sea OF
moisture that spread itself over tfe
surface of feminine necks in Topeka
polling places on election day. me
voting places in the primaries Tues
day were conducted almost entirely by
women Many of the polling places
had a man or two to do the "heavy
supervising" but in number - the
polling places women did both the
bossing and the work.
After all the votes were cast and the
sovereign citizens had gone home to
hot bird and a cold bottle (maybe), or
had started for a cool ride II their
cars. come down town to watch the
bulletin, or retired to the cool Of their
attic bedrooms, according as th cir Ill
dividuaI tastes and circumstances
prompted them--the election board
members snatched a cold sandwich
and a cup of tepid drinking water.
and then buckled down to the tedious
task of counting ballots.
The wise ones tell US that insc mnia
can be overcome by counting inagi-
nary sheep jumping sagging fencess
but if you are really counting the elu-
sive goddess of gentle slumber, apply
for a job counting votes. The great
governmental crime of Kansas is the
placing of primary voting dates in
August Then, adding insult to in
jury. the men exchange a job of clerk
ing on election day, for the pleasant
task of facing Hun bullets and mus
tard gas, leaving the women to record
9and count the vox popun expression
on our rulers, judges and dog catch
ers.
/ Then, when election day falls at the
end of a five-day period of exhaust
! i.-g heat and record brea king tempera-
| lures, how can the feminine servants
/ of the public be expected to look their
/ best and be serene, working from
early morning until after midnight
{ bending over tables and big books
with hands inky, eyes smarting and
! the whole person immersed in a Turk
ish bath.
Husbands Show Up.
! Along about 10 o'clock last night
/ disconsolate husbands wandered to-
ward the polling places to escort home
I their wives whom they expected tC
! find waiting for them on the steps OF
the store or old empty houses where
/ ne voting was done. They were
( ordered home very promptly by the
said wives who didn't wish to be dis
/ tarbed in the midst of the hardest part
of the days work. Then.aafter about
! an hour, they returned to see if theil
! 81 ouses We're not ready to leave; agair
/ they were turned out with but little
ceremony. Along close TO midnight
they began to rush in, feeling afraid
, that their mates were impatient at the
| delay in getting home. But they me-
1.-THE same answer not to get in the way
it'll the days work was done. 1t i.
| known that the end of a perfect day
| finally came. but it was not until
another one had begun.
Like a Furnace.
In one of the polling places, which
had at one time served as a grocery
store, but was dismantled of all it!
modern equipment, a group of work
ers sat under coal oil lamps, about
dozen of them arranged along a shell
just over their heads. The air wa.
like a blast from a zinc smelling fur
| mace, and fraii shirt waists chung t.
the forms of the women who served
the public in that small annex to thu
inferno, while the man who assisted
had the appearance of a stewed beet
but retained the manner of gentle
man. That the brains of the worker
were not fricasseed is past understand
ing. Bring forth the croix de gNerre
and the GRO; of the Legion of Honor
for the decoration of Topeka'5 cleo
| ton day heroes!