Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-10-30
PARTY LEADERS LAUNCH
CAMPAIGN IN ALL
PARTS OF COUNTY
DANGER REAL THING
POINT TO MAMMOTH REGlSTRA
TON TO PROVE THEIR DREAD
THAT HUNDREDS OF LATE
FROM BALlOTlNG PLACES NEXT
TUESDAY.

The bugaboO OF thousands Of La
Sale county residents being unable
to vote next Tuesday, is a serious
contention advanced by leaders in
both the republican and democratic
parties Because of the mammoth
registration the danger is found in
the scarcity OF time IN which to deal
out ballots to the hordes who viii
tiock to the seventy-fiye places thru.
out the county. making 1t Impossible
for the judges and clerks TO handle
situation they are not equipped to
meet
Apprehension Of party leaders that
hundreds ana mayhap thousands may
be barred from the polls because Of
inability OF judges and clerks to han.
die them within the prescribed time
limit. are based OF the fact. and are
not imaginary. Their cause for
alarm IS traced to the registration
and the number of voting minutes
available To the judges and clerks.
They see only one possible remedy
chised and that is a general last min
ute campaign in which the voters are
urged to vote early, The nedrer they
can be to the polls at O'Clock the
less their chances of being kept from
standing in line at O'Clock the
closing hour when the crier an
nounces the polls are closed, these
party leaders announce,
The women are being particularly
urged to yOle early Many OF the
men in factories cannot get 10 the
precincts until late in the afternoon
and those who have more time on
their hands should, it is pointed out,
be considerate Of the workman who
goes to vote at the only period open
to him for that purpose in the course
OF his day,
The Reason.
Figures compiled by County Clerk
Thomas Ferguson show that during
the period of registration the names
Of 24.@40 men and 2o,54i women were
written into the poll books Of the
seyenty-fve precincts. That means
a total registration of 44S7a-a rec
fore confronting the County's election
system. 1t comes at a time when
the judges and clerks are able to
properly handle less than haii that
number
The clock shows that in the seven
ty.five precincts there are 5000 vOt
ing minutes between the hours Of 7
a m. and p. III, the hours the polls
are open
The two reveal that one ballot must
he cast every minute the clock ticks
off. or else someone is going to be
LETT out in the cold when the Judges
are compelled by law to declare no
more votes will be recorded 4 vote
minute means that the clerks aud
other election officials will have 10
work with machine-like precision.
Everything has to be Well oiled in
advance even TO permit the One-a-
minute vote. The slightest sin in
sures that at ; O'Clock a line will be-
waiting outside the polls and every
man and women in that line depriv-
ed OF his right Of franchise by reason
OF the polls closing at the stated
hour.
More Serious In Ottawa.
The situation in Ottawa never was
so grave along this line. Registra-
tion here was not heavier than nor
anal, but the two townships making
IN the Ottawa area have long been
deprived OF enough precincts to prop
erly handle their ordinarily large
vote The registration figures as
turned in by Supervisor Yockey to
Clerk Ferguson show that in ottawa
and South Ottawa 1,G10 eligible yOt-
ers reside, divided as follows:
Men Women Totals
lat Precinct ,.559 537 1896