Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-20
LENR00T LEADING
IN WISCONSIN VOTE;
CONTEST IS CLOSE
Thompson, La Toilette Candi-
date, 1000 Behind, With
ID Counties Missing.
SOCIALISTS MAKE HEAVY
GAINS THROUGHOUT STATE

Reports from all but seven counties
| Of the state up to 1 so O'Clock this
afternoon gave Lenroot a lead OF
2,4Ss over Thompson. With some
counties complete and most Of the
vote reported In others, Lenr0ot
had 1858 and Thompson 59,175.
MILWAUKEE,. Wis, March 2o-out-
standing features of yesterdays loyalty
primary were five-fold increase in the
socialist vote, the overwhelming victory
of Joseph L. Davies for the democratic
senatorial nomination and the close race
between Irvine L. Lenroot, the loyalist
candidate, and James Thompson. who
carried the banner Of the La Toilette
republicans in the senatorial race of that
party. Lenroot supporters maintained
that what advantage there was on re-
turns up to II o'clock today rested with
Lenroot.
With fourteen counties missing, scat
Lenroot 56,69S and Thompson 54.763.
The missing counties and precincts are
SO situated as to make an accurate fore
cast impossible, although it appeared
that Lenroots home district, which is
Y
a majority sufficient to overcome that
of Thompson in the city and county of
Milwaukee. 1t may be days before the
deciding votes are in from the back
woods.
Socialists Cut Thompson Vote.
In Milwaukee Berger cut heavily into
the Thompson vote and polled prac-
tically as many as Lenroot and Thomp-
son together. 1t was generally con-
ceded that it was only the heavy social
ist vote which prevented the nomina-
tion of Thompson by an unmistakable
margin.
In the state legislature the socialist
members ordinarily vote with the La
Toilette faction, and stood solidly with
La Toilette against the recently. passed
resolution censuring him.
Heavy Socialist Vote in Milwaukee.
In Milwaukee the socialist vote for
municipal officers and aldermen in the
non-partisan primary was even more
impressive. Mayor Hoan, socialist, re-
ceived the highest number of votes of
any of the four candidates, estimated
closely at 20,s23. Braman, republican,
was his nearest opponent, with 1928.
Dammann, republican, and Park. demo-
crat, polled respectively 1905 and 1.127.
Under the non partisan primary system
the two receiving the highest number
of votes become the candidates at the
The socialists also nominated their
men for all city offices and for six of
the eleven aldermen at large
Berger's friends, even more optimis-
tic than last night, predicted that his
state vote would run close to 10000.
Dane county complete, including
Madison, the home of Senator La Fol-
lette' as' returned 4.s41 for Thompson.
Madison is also the home of DIR. Charles
Mccarthy. who was defeated by Joseph
p. Davies for the democratic nomina-
tions. Mccarthy lost the county by
only twenty-seven votes
Returns from scattered precincts I'm to
noon, with fourteen counties still miss
ing. narrowed Lenroot's lead, according
to computing by the Milwaukee journal.
1t showed: Lenroot, 60,643; Thomson.
60.109; Berger, 33.799. OF the missing
counties, all but two were claimed as
normally favorable to Lenroot by the
Lenroot leaders. Five are in Lenroot's
district
Victor Berger, socialist, carried Mil
waukee county by a vote equal to that
of Lenroot and Thompson The city
vote, practically complete. was: Berger,
1886; Thompson, 9.917: .Lenroot, 6,1Sl.
Berger's friends claimed that fhe so-
cialist vote in the state would reach
$4,000.
Mayor Hoan, socialist, exceeded Ber-
gers vote in the city with 20,723 votes
Braman, republican, was next with 49,
2S3. Danman. republican, received 4,905
and Park. democrat. 1,127. on practical
Hoan and Braman. will be the mayoral-
ty candidates at the regular election.
Returns from the state at large prac-
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