The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-11-05
NOVEL Campaign
CONTROLLED BY
WOMEN At END
Both Sides Claim Advantage
in Thursdays Election, But
Paine Seems to Have Bet
ter of Chances.
eY ARTHUR J. FoRsEs.

a campaign, unique In the 100 years
OF memphis history, is closing and the
voters OF the city will decide the re-
SUIT THURSDAY by olectiug a mayor, four
from the list of l. candidates whose
mare are on the official ballots.
Ihe votes OF the women of Memphis
will decide this election.
They will vote for the first time or
me 10000 who are registered, few will
TAU 10 go 10 the polls, for they have
demonstrated their intense interest by
the heavy registration and the work
OF the womens divisions Of both cam
pa!gn committees has been constant and
effective
Which way a majority Of The votes
viii 60. whether for Rowlett Paine and
the Citizens league or for j. J. Wiz
hams and his ticket is a disputed
point, but one who has watched the
campaign closely since its beginning
cannot doubt that fully three fourths OF
the women viii vote for the men and
the principles Of the Citizens league.
If that happens. Rowlett Paine win
| be the next mayor Of Memphis and
| each of the candidates on the ticket
with him, Edgar, Johnson, Allen and
| Shannon, will be elected.
The Williams managers admit that
| II three-fourths of the women's votes
go to the Citizens league, that will end
their hopes of carrying the election but
| they still claim that Mr.. Williams win
secure a larger share OF the women's
votes than fourth and PIN their faith
| upon carrying the old down town wards
| from the First clear through to the
! Twelfth by such heavy aiorities that
| they will offset the admitted strength
of Paine and the Citizens league In all
the larger residence wards.
The campaign aside from the activity
| of the women has been, an unusual one
| I'm ut thor Tho nnhAhhtnI Ell u
sentiment for eliminating faCtlonal pol
| itics from the city hall for new deal
| politically, for more businessike meth
| DDS, and the strong public sentiment
| for law enforcement, which resulted in
| the organization of the Citizens league
| by labor men, business men and pro-
| fessional men, present new conditions
which the professional politicians do not
| understand.
The Citizens league platform. for law
| enforcement, better schools, good gov
| eminent, appeals not only to women,
| but to every good citizen, and 1t Is the
| disqualification of public sentiment for
those three things and the other things
\ which must follow that platform when
| 1t is put into effective practice, that
has won the election for the Citizens
| league,
From a political standpoint, mistake
after mistake has been made by the
| Citizens league candidates and their
committees, but they have driven home
| their argument for a clean city and a
new deal in newspaper advertisements,
in letters and posters, and in every
campaign speech
On the other hand, stand the profess
sional ward politicians, the dregs and
scum of the criminal element of the
city, the police department standing
| solidly back of J. }. Williams.
But it must not be supposed that
these elements compose his entire
strength. He has hundreds of personal
| friends who always vote for him, He
has a large and influential group of
| business men, attracted by the young
business men on his ticket, which
means thousands of votes from the bet
ter element which Mr.. Williams, rum
ming alone. could not hope to secure,
| He only got $500 votes FOR criminal
court clerk.
He has working for him a group Of
| influential women, and that means that
every woman's vote that can be secured
| for him, win be cast These votes,
| added to those in the old down town
wards, controlled by the police, Will roll
up a formidable vote Thursday.
| The Citizens ticket win win, If every
vote which is really for it Is cast and
courted, but 1t will take every vote,
| There will be no landslide, and the
candidate who wins by thousand ma
| jority may consider himself lucky
| man. The vote will be the largest ever
cast in q city election In Memphis
probably more than 10000, possibly sew
| eral thousand more than that The
| winners will need 10000 votes apiece