The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-11-12
TOTAL BALLOT
YET IN DOUBT
All Political Leaders Guessing
on Number Of Votes Cast
November 2.

Officials at headquarters here of
the Republican patty. the Demo
cratic party, the Farmer-Labor
party. the Prohibition party. the
Plumb Plan League, and all other
parties and organizations. including
the American Federation OF Labor
were still specializing as to the total
number OF votes cast by the Ameri-
can electorate ON election day.
FEW OFFICIAL FIGURES.
Until the vote had been officially
tabulated and reported to the Secre-
tary Of State OF each and every one
OF the forty-eight States. william
Tyler Page. clerk OF the House. and
a recognized expert on election sta
tistics. pointed out that - compu-
tations must be "sheer guess work"
Republican and Democratic lead
ers apparently agreed with those Of
lesser organizations that President
elect Harding poiied between l7.Oo0.-
900 and 100000 votes In rolling up
the Harding avalanche under which
Governor Cox. hts Democratic candt.,
date. was buried. They admitted.
however. they had few official fig
ures on which to base their calcu-
lations, and did not expect to have
any for another two weeks. ''-
1t was pointed out that tho total
vote in 1915 was about lS,52S,743. and
the belief was haxardarded by some
that Harding's vote would either
equal or nearly approach this. II
was also estimated that the total vote
this year was between 100000 and
80. 100000. although some thought II
would prove to have been less.
100000 WOMEN VOTE,
Miss Alice Paul. leader OF the MILL
tant suffragists. Inquired that 15.OOO,-
900 women had voted. Aside from
those who had failed to register or
vote because they did not desire to
do so. she said the woman vote had
been lessened because women were
unable to vote In Mississippi and
Georgia because of the law In those
States which required registration
six months before an election. The
eDfranch isement of women came too
of Mississippi and Georgia to 60 to
the polls.
1t was figured that Cox's vote was
between 100000 and 10000. 900. Some
Democratic leaders thought 1t might
prove less. others more.
In all political camps the big show
ing made by Eugene v. Debs. the I'm
prisoned Socialist candidate for Presi-
dent. was conceded to have been q
record breaker" for the Socialists. II
was generally agreed that d. b.
polled approximately 1000. 900 votes,
as compared with 100000 in 1915 and
90O.0 900 his previous apex, In 1904.
DRY VOTE FALLS OFF.
Christiansen. the Farmer Labor
candidate for President. was gener-
ally estimated to have received be-
tween 100000 and TOO. 0G0. and to have
attracted large numbers OF labor
votes the American Federation Of
Labor was unable to control because
Of the attitude OF Samu ! G, mpers
its president In the campaign, 1t was
declared.
The prohibition cause was said to
have only given Watkins about 200.-
900 because Of the number Of 'drys"
who voted for Republican or Dc mo-
cratic dry" candidates for Congress
or other officers who were dry" In
Volstead law endorsement fights.
There was believed to have been a
falling off Of the prohibition vote for
this reason. In 1904 the Prohibition
Party polIed 100000 votes. in 1915 1t
dropped to 225,000.
McCauley, the Single Tax Presi-
Dental candidate. made the poorest
showing, It was generally conceded.
his vote being estimated at between
$4,000 and $4,000.