The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-20
Williams VOTE
NOT ENCOURAGING
IN AUGUST, 1918
Only One Ward.
Beaten in City, Where He
Only Had 3,077 Votes Out
of Total of 1855.

II there are 10000 or more votes cast
in the city election, J. ]. Williams will
have to show more speed than he did
in his race for criminal court clerk in
August, 1918.
Any candidate with less than 1000
votes in the ballot boxes when the polls
close Nov. 6, win have a poor chance
Of being the winner.
Look how Joe Williams came back
last year when he was elected crimi-
nal court clerk" say some OF Mr.. will
Hams friends, in attempting 10 prove
mat be has a chance to be elected may
or this year.
The returns OF last August's election
tail TO show any encouraging figures,
however, to back up such statements
Mr. Williams was elected by a bare
plurality Of IL votes.
There were three candidates IN the
race, Mike Cohen, Charley Walsh and
Mr., Williams.
Out Of S,556 votes cast in the city.
hen defeated him IN the city, with a
total vote OF 3,305. His plurality OF
ii votes came therefore from the county
and not the city.
A glance at the election returns also
shows that Mr.. Williams had a ma
Jorlty over both his opponents in only
one ward, out OF the entire 80. That
was IN the Sixteenth, where he lived
after his six years residence in Mis-
sissippi.
Adding Cohen's and walsh's votes in
the city shows their combined vote
was br47S, as against Mr.. Williams
total Of S,o77. 1t was only by beating
Cohen in the country districts outside
Memphis that Mr.. williams gained his
ii votes plurality.
Last August's election was a hard
fought one with more than a hundred
candidates In the field in the city and
county.
Every important office was being
fought for, and Mr.. Williams candi.
dacy, In a three-cornered race, was
almost lost sight Of, except by him
self and his two opponents.
MOST OF the campaigning OF his two
opponents was done in the city wards.
Mr., Williams appealed to his personal
trends that he needed II lucrative Of
ice and said he never expected 10 make
another race. He made a personal can
vass, yet only managed to get a little
more than a third Of the votes cast
Tor the candidates for criminal court
clerk In the city.
The voters were more interested in
ne hard-fought contests between Sher-
ltf Perry apd Mike Tate; between Judge
Pittman and Judge Wilkerson, who
were candidates for Judge Of the Third
division of the circuit court; in Sam o,
Bates race for encouragement against
=. w. Lanier, Hunter Wilson and
James II. Biokers; In the sharply fought
campaign for judge OF the First crlmi-
nal court between Judge j. Ed Rich
ards and Harry T. Holman, or in the
lively race between John c. McLemore,
for county clerk. against James Cashin
and several others, than they were in
the mini court clerks race.
A mayor and two city commissioners
we're elected In the same election, 10
I'LL unexpired terms, and that contest
In the city was OF more interest TO
hundreds Of voters than the contests
for any of the county offices.
But with all that, 1t looks as II any
n who claims that Mr.. Williams ever
gave any imitation OF q real race in
that particular election was doing some
tall claiming,