, 1876-11-12

Since Wednesday last one OF tue Afternoon
| papers has been boisteyously Eoasting that
HAYES was elected, and asserting that Tur
TRIBUNE gave it up on Wednesday. We sua-
pose this assertion is based On tile word Il Iostn
| that was at the head OF the display headings.
| but if it had taken the trouble to read Gown tn
| the bottom It would have found the last disn1,r
| line to read, .''4:30 a. m.,-very latest,-tha
result close and doubtfu1.n
At q. N. Wednesday morning the dispatches
seemed to elect T1LDEN beyond all doubt or
peradventure. He had swept New York, ludi
ana, Connecticut; and New Jersey. The news
from the South looked pretty poor. The dis
patches from tlorida indicated that it had gou,
for TMDEN, and Florida was State that had
been conceded to him before the election. Ore
gon had generally been conceded to TnDES,
and Louisiana had only been family claimed 70,
HAYES by any Republican. The returns from
no Southern State we're assuring, Or eycn
hopeful, from what was known rs late Is
4 4, m. TnDEN had secured ISL votes, and
only needed one more to elect him, and he
would be q rash and reckless man at the mo-
ment who would express the opinion in writing
that HAYES would win.
At 4:20 a. m., just as the forms,of the early
mail edition of THE TRIBUNE we're e.. roate to
the press-room, q dispatch arrived modifying
the aspect OF matters. 1t was the work OF but
few minutes to bring them back and insert this
sentence as the last line OF the display headings
on the first page:
4:3o A. ni.--VERY 14ATEsT---The yoto
Close, und the Result Still in Doubt.
At the head Of the editorial columns this post
script was inserted:
PosTscn1pr.-4:30 q. m.-The Electoral vote
for HAYES, including the three Pacific States and
Wisconsin, foots up ISL; the vote for T1LpEN Is
result.
This postscript was certainly not surrender.
OF the ship, but left matters in very interest
ing condition. u,-T11DEs, ISL; HAYES, ISL; and
Florida to determine the result. Since then four
anxious days have come and gone, and the stu
alton is precisely what we stated it to be in that
first edition on "Wednesday morning, viz: "Very
close and result doubtful
At d. m. the second edition OF TIE TRIBUNE
for city circulation issued, with several col
umns Of additional election returns. and in re-
gard to the result this was the heading in dis
play letters: ''5a- m.-Stil1 later news-Tho
result depends upon the vote Of F1orida-'' Then
followed the reports on which the opinion WIS
founded. At 7:3O third edition was issued,
HaIA A@oAC ACHo7 AcdutA9 NOt DcLLlcQ1 auu
from that moment till this no advance has been
made On that opinion. What has appeared t.
be gained one day has been lost the next. The
result is still "Not Settled" as THE TRIBUNE
stated last Wednesday morning.
Wednesday afternoon the Post had all the
dispatches Of the three morning papers before
its editor from which to rebash the news.
Wednesday afternoon the Post, with no aldi-'
tional news Of q certain or definite character,
proclaimed HAYES elected beyond doubt or
contingency, and in all its editions since it iaas
'epeated the same claim, without one decisive
1gure to found the claim upon
This may be very funny, but It is not honest
journalism, aud has tendency to do harm. It
ncourages betting by those who credit its
lain; and if TuDEN gets vote out Of either
# the three doubtful States, or HAYES loses one.
hey will not thank the Post for playing its
onhdence game, whereby they lost their money.
Since the first issue Of The TRIBUNE ut 4:30
e nj. Wednesday morning, It has given the e1-
ct truth SO far rs the result was known to
aortal man. All that was told more than it
ublished was mere opinion, guesswork, or
The demand for city newspapers during the