Volume 17 , Issue 7

1915 Headlines: 218,000 Women Voters May Swing Election In Chicago

On page 3, of The Evening World, dated 23 February 1915, Tuesday, one of the headlines you might read about is: "218,000 Women Voters May Swing Election In Chicago." Ballots were cast on that day for first time for full city ticket in primary contests.

Chicago, Feb. 23 (1915) -- Voting was brisk on February 23rd, in 1915, in the Mayoralty primary, the first in which Chicago women had participated. The morning dawned dark and gloomy with spatters of rain. soon afterward the sun shone brightly, only to retire behind clouds before noon. The weather, however, made little difference to the women voters who in some of the precincts outnumbered the men and were much in evidence in all the precincts.

There were 665,911 persons eligible to vote, 447,109 men and 218,712 women.

Followers of mayor Carter H. Harrison and of Robert M. Sweitzer, his opponent for nomination on the democratic ticker, watched the lines of voters and each declared they appealed victory for his candidate. In the Republican camp opinion was about equally divided between Judge Harry Olson and William Hale Thompson. Charles M. Thomson, Progressive party candidate, had no opposition on his ticket and had made no campaign.

The polls opened at 5 o'clock. At every voting booth in the city there were hundreds of the fair voters in line ready to wield the franchise long before daylight.

because of wholesale fraud charges and a score or more of arrests already, special police reserves were held in readiness to be rushed to booths where intimidation of voters was expected.
  |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---