The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-11-14
b f. l. A I r. nj d.
Friday Morning, 49, November IA, 1884.
Summing Up the Returns In New York.

Friday Morning, November Ia, 1884.
Summing Up the Returns In New York.
We have seen no reason to recall the de-
claration made in The -Egis last week that
Cleveland and Hendricks, having received
$40 electoral votes, were duly and legally
elected President and Vice President of the
United States. Mr.. Blaine and the Republican
national committee, with sublime assurance,
declared that Blaine had carried New York,
basing their impudent claim on supposed
frauds and errors in the count. But the Off
cial count, thus far made, fails to indicate
that errors have been made sufficient
to show that the people of New York pre-
ferred Blaine to Cleveland.
When the polls were closed in the State of
New York, on the evening of the 4th of
November, Cleveland had more votes than
Blaine. When the judges of election in each
voting precinct had counted the ballots the
vote was announced and the result fixed,
showing that Cleveland had received more
votes than Blaine. No subsequent manipu-
lation of the ballots or declaration by the
judges of election can change the result. 1t
is true that in summing up the totals for each
county clerical errors may have occurred but
1t Is the experience of all who have had to do
with footing up election returns that errors
of this kind, in large State about balance
each other. This fact is seen in compiling
the returns from our own county. The Of
fetal returns never differ materially from
those first brought to Bel Air by persons
who witnessed the count in the precincts and
heard the result declared.
The vote in each precinct is known, not
withstanding ballots have been destroyed and
poll-books are missing.
The New York Sun, newspaper strongly
opposed to Cleveland. had Its representative
in each county, and from him received the
vote of that county. The returns thus re-
ceived were footed up and showed plurality
of about 200 for Cleveland The World and
the Times also had their own means of OBJ
tanning the result, and their figuring did not
differ materially from that of the San. The
Associated Press, which sent out lying
bulletins at the very moment they had in
their New York Office returns agreeing with
those received by the Sun, the Times and
the World, as soon as Jay Gould sent his
dispatch congratulating Cleveland upon his
election, revised its figures, and showed q
plurality for Cleveland. The Tribune alone
persisted in claiming that everybody else's
figures were wrong and that Blaine was
elected.
Blaine from his home in Augusta, Maine,
also recklessly declared that fraud had been
committed in New York, and that he had
carried the State. 1t is difficult to see upon
what he based his arrogant claim. Four
fifths of the counties of New York are in the
hands of Republicans. Did they commit
frauds against their own candidate
Almost every respectable Republican news
paper in the United States acknowledges
that Cleveland has carried New York on the
face of the returns. They demand recount,
however. What guarantee have we that
bogus ballots will not be substituted, or that
recount, when made, will be any more
correct than the first one?
Blaine has exhibited himself in a most
unenvitable and dangerous light. With
entire disregard of the interests of the coun-
try he has written inf1ammatory dispatches
and has urged his fellow conspirators to 90
to greater lengths in their effort to subvert
the will of the majority than they otherwise
would have done. He is Catiline, without
Catiline's manliness.
The county canvassing board met on Tues
day. Official returns from SO counties were
made that day. In "a of these counties the
figures Tailed exactly with those published
in the New York Times on Monday. In ten
counties slight errors in additions were found
which added to Blaines vote and 7 to
Cleveland's.
On Wednesday thirteen more counties
were canvassed. A few but slight errors
were discovered in the additions of the pre-
cinct returns, the result being an increase of
one vote over the plurality heretofore re-
ported for Cleveland, which is 1889.
The State canvassers will meet on the 10th,
to sum up the vote of the State. If all the
county returns are not presented, they can
wait five days, and at the end of that time
they can count and declare the result accord
ing to the best means attainable. This
board is composed of Democrats, with one
exception. Knowing how each county vot.
ed, II for any reason the county authorities
withhold their returns it will not impede the
declaration of the result. The electoral vote
ofNew York will be given to Grover Cleve-
land and Thomas A. Hendricks, and they will
certainly be the next President and Vice
President of the United States.