The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-11-02
FINDS II IS NOT
HARD TO VOTE
THE Cub Looks in Vain for HaIos and
ethereal Atmosphere and Hears
Noise and Smells Tobacco
Smoke instead.
TAKES FEW MINUTES
gwen Scratched Ticket is Not Hard
to Manage, She Declares After
Casting the Magic
Ballot.
[By Margaret Aldrich !

Two blocks down Lucas avenue,
with a handsome escort on either
side of me for moral support and with
five minutes to make the trip in,
presented myself for inspection this
morning at 9:15 o'clock at the first
ward polling place, which is located
in the old mission building on Fourth
street, and proceeded to cast my
first ballot.
1t was grand and glorious feeling,
but not without some mild trepida-
tions of the heart and some quick,
unintelligent retrospections as to
..How had been told to act at the
polls and what was the first thing
should do?" Why, oh why, had
my little spark of intelligence left
me at this crucial time, and was l
the only member .of the fair sex out
of that large group of sisters who
was experiencing any qualmS or
fears as to the polling and balloting
etiquette?
The other women looked SO calm
and sure of themselves, and me, a
reporter, supposed to be able to bluff
through most any occasion, honest
to goodness frightened and absolutely
aware of the fact that l was ignorant
of the task at hand. Then happy
thought struck me. Maybe | didn't
look scared and maybe down deep
in their effeminate hearts they were
really as frightened as l was. If they
only were?
But being on the outside Of the
polling place was one thing and actu-
ally getting inside, even at election
time was another. Once inside the
door. / couldn't tell whether I was
glad Tennessee had ratified the
amendment or not Voting was a
terrible responsibility, l concluded,
and thought of all the good men and
yes, l even felt sorry for the bad
men who had lived all of their lives
and had had to vote every four years
for president since they were twenty
one.
The Halo Is Missing.
expected the polling building or
balloting house, or whatever 1t Is
called, to be very quiet place with
an ethereal atmosphere lowering
around like halo, and I imagined
that people, If they dared talk at all,
would do so only in whispers. or,
better still, make signs. But instead
there was much noise and confusion
and heaps OF people standing in line.
After assuring half dozen men as
] went down the line that was Mar
garct Aldrich, number ten-l mean
that number ten was my official seal
IN The registration bock--and that |
vas older and more dignified than !
looked, one of the voting men gave
mo a nice, big ballot, and without
asking one single, foolish question |
went to little ballot coop and
-sCRATCHEDg MY FIRST TICKET"
For the benefit of any doubling
Thomases. I'll add, modestly OF
course, that I knew exactly WHAT
] was doing and WHY
It didn't take long to do the actual
voting. In fact. the operation occu-
pied such short 'er9th of time l
was afraid I'd overlooked something,
but the little slips with the constitu-
tional amendments on them were the
only bet passed up, and left the
polling place with satisfied air
that Goods in His heaven, alls right
with the world" and then as soon as
Il got outside the volunteers mission
] gave one shout for joy and raced
those two good-looking escorts, who
had stood by in amused silence while
! voted, down to the corner drug
store and one or the other of them
bought me coke.