The Portland daily press., 1876-11-09
ELECTION E XCHTEMENT.
of Feeling Manifested Throughout the
DIV.

Ihe excitement to hear the election news
| was not abated in the least by the returns pub
| lisLed in the morning papers yesterday mora
| ing. At an early hour the newspaper Offices
| were beseged by a large crowd and the papers
| sold lively. One news dealer said he had not
| had such sale for ten years. The enormous
edition of the PRESS printed at o'clock, went
off lively and the edition was soon exhausted
AT 10 O'Clock an extra was issued containing
specials from New York and Boston giving the
comments and estimates from the several pa
pers in those cities. A despatch from New
York stated that the Times had adyices giving
Hayes 1ol and Florida not heard from. The
hearts of the Republicans, which had sunk
within them on reading the morning papers,
were awakened on reading this despatch and
the feelings of the Democrats went down cor
respondingly. for Florida has just four votes,
and that would elect Hayes if he bad 1871 out
side. The news of the change in affairs spread
rapidly, and the crowd which had already as
sembled in front Of the Office WAS much aug
mented The extras were in great demand and
from two to three thousand were sold. Al
though they were printed at the rate of 81 per
minute, such was the demand for them that the
crowd overrun the counting room and made
siege on the press room. Such excitement has
not been seen since war times when the crowd
make raid on the newspaper offices and got
proofs Of the news before it was made up. The
crowd was made up of all classes, business
men, professional men, workmen and loafers
Business was almost wholly given up, and
men who ordinarily tax bit little interest in
politics were seen closely watching the bulletin
boards 1t was utterly impossible to engage
the attention of any one on any other subject
than election. The Democrats got out their
flag quite early in the morning, but the Repub-
licans did not unfurl theirs until nearly noon.
By the time the first edition had been we'll
digested by the crowd, second was issued Civ
ing special despatch from New York and one
from Boston, each of them pointing to the cleo
ton of Tilden, as decidedly doubtful This
edition, like the first, was soon exhausted, max
ing upwards of 5000 extra papers sold from
this Office. The papers were taken into the
street and read, small knots gathering all about
the street to hear the news.
At o'clock the Advertiser issued an extra
giving the Associated Press dispatches up to
the time of going to press. This gave Tlden
the election by three majority. This was read
with much satisfaction by the Democrats and
the Republicans shook their heads. AS the af-
ternoon wore away the crowd rather increased
on Exchange street, and so completely blocked
the sidewalk on each side that the police were
sent for to keep open the passage. But this
was difficult duty, the surgng masses, al
though quiet were many. and it was not an easy
task tc keep them in place. When a despatch
was announced grand raid would be made
across the street into the PRESS and Argus
counting rooms. About o'clock a bulletin in
the Argus Office announced Tilden elected by
As majority This was indeed good news for
the Democracy, but it was closely followed up
by one from Zach Chandler Chairman OF the
Republican National Committee, claiming Flor
ida and Louisiana for Hayes, thus electing him
by one majority. This despatch produced the
widest cheering, and one man remarked, 1.-THE
plot thickens.'
Then came dispatches declaring Pennsylva-
MIA and South Carolina for Tilden. None of
the dispatches were s1bstantiated, and the
great inquiry was for something reliable, which
was hard to find.
The news given in the Advertiser at o'clock
left the matter just where it was in the morn
luS, Uub SUN ~ was tdS0Tly sOuSue lOI NY lu0
hungry multitude. A very large edition was
disposed of, thu rewsboys selling even up to
late hour in the evening. The crowd gathered
at the different headquarters in the evening
and the suggestions upon the result we're many
and varied.
Great excitement was caused at the Republ.
can headquarters by the reading of private
despatch at 81 o'clock, stating that New York
had gone Republican by 200. The effect was
electrical and for some time the Gro Wd hardly
knew whether to believe or disbelieve. They
finally decided, however, to do the latter. The
story spread rapidly over the city, and before it
could be contradicted it caused intense excite
ment and people began to flock to Lancaster
Hall, which was already overrun with people.
The bogus despatch caused perfect panic at
the Democratic headquarters. Thu faithful
ones were feeling very doubtful before, but
when that despatch was received it was too
much. The managers, however, came to the
rescue and read batch of dispatches which
pleased the boys much, aud those who were in
condition to do so cI eered, while others groan-
ed their approval There was one confident
fellow though. He said: "(Hic) L haven't been
drunk for ten (hic) years, but now 1 am going
to get (hic) full and keep so week. 'Rah for
(hic) Tilden and Reform" Judging from his
general appearance he would not have to i'm
bibe much to be toleraby "ful"
One confident Republican at the United
States Hotel the first of the evening bet $25 to
S. that Hayes would be the next President.
The betting generally, however, was the other
way, the Tilden men giving odds.
The Democrats feel very uncertain as to the
result, and at meeting of the city committee
held yesterday, it was decided not to have any
demonstration last evening, but sub-commit-
tee was appointed to prepare programme for
Friday evening. The labors of this committee
may be very easy to perform.
We are requested to state that no dispatches
were read from the platform in Lar caster Hall
on Tuesday evening that were not received by
| the committee, and deemed by them to be bona
| fde. A few kilograms not regarded as anthem
| tic were suppressed, but of these there were as
many announcing Republican successes as re-
/ veres.
| 1t was currently reported last evening that
despatch went through this city yesterday from
E M. Pusifer & Co., publishers of the Bos-
ton Herald, stating that the election of Tilden
was very doubtful.
| COOP TEMPDARs..-The annual NEE ting of
n IN