, 1876-11-12
4 WEEK OF SUSPENSE.

Since GRASTs 8 campaign IN tile Nl1deTneSS,
there has not been experienced here week
of such excitement as that through which
We have just passed The closing of the
campaign which, with din Of drums, and
fare of torches, and unbounded enthusiasm,
of course, was being celebrated by both
parties, was not done with until long after
the Sabbath had been nshered in; and on
that day of blessed rest little if any rest
was there in the opposing camps at political
headquarters. Monday the parting shots
were fired; the last remaining vials Of
stump oratory were uncorked the torches
fared for the last time and were e1tinguished; !;
and meanwhile the work Of active preparation
was pushed on both sides with supreme
vigor, and there was marshaling and hasten
ing to and fro Of challenging and ral1ying
committees and Observation-Disclosures to get
MI in readiness for the final contest at the
polls
Tuesday came the decisive struggle, and
on either side every nerve was strained to
get out every vote for the ticket, ami whero
it couldn't be got for the ticket, by trades, to
the city was the largest ever polled, and
more intelligent discrimination in the way
of ttscratching" on the local ticket was
Practiced, as the count disclosed At night,
with the closing Of the polls, came q brief
1ull, and voters went home to bolt hasty
supper and hurry down town again to
flock to the newspaper Offices to eagerly
await the bulletining of the returns. These
came in slowly md scatteringly until near
midnight, and vague, and confused, aud con-
Trajectory enough were they to utterly
bewIder the gentleman who was figuring on
his bets, and the gentleman who was figuring
on his chances Of securing an appointment
under the next Administration, and the
other gentlemen who were figuring on the
effects in divers ways upon multitude OF
things. Later was received news of the loss
of New York, md HAYES stock fell flat,
while the Democrats e1ulted in their
triumph, and we're offering bets at large
odds upon it.
Wednesday morning TIE TRIBUNE and
other papers, following the dispatches, an-
nounced in their first edition that T11pES
was ahead, and probably elected; in the
second edition that the result was doubtful;
md in the third thnt HAYES was ahead. This
the tension of popular excitement.
Business WAS practically suspended, and on
Change, and in banks, stores, and factories
The sole topic Of conversation was the cleo
lion, as to the result Of which all remained
IN doubt. That Tu.DEN had received 184
Electoral votes-but one less than the num-
Der required to elect him-was reported. |
But the Pacific State, and Louisiana, Florida,
and South Carolina were reported doubtful,
and SO aggravatingly slow were the returns
trom these IN coming in, and SO contradic-
0ory "hen received, that each party alter
nately rejoiced over its victory and "con-
ceded its defeat.
Thursday dispatches settled that the Pa
chic States had been carried for H4yEs. and
the list of doubtful Stotes IN
louisiana, Florida, North Carolina. and
South Carolina The report Of North Caro-
ina as among the doubtful States created a
dutter, but before the day ended
t was generally believed that that State Ind
,one for TnDEs. KELLOGG dispatched that
louisiana had certainly been carried for
AEs; the new slang phrase for all frauds
nd violence nt. the polls-s@ buildozing
ras added to the newspaper vocabulary
nd the contest seemed dependent wholly |
lpon the vote of Florida, the stepping-od