Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-11-11


TWO VIEWS or THR POLITICAL SITUATION rooN ran
TRIBUNE AND world
The New York World says editoriaily to-day: sIt
Is criminal act to keep the country In state of
unnecessary suspense AMI agitation about the
result Of the election Blaine and bis associates
made an impudent, orazen claim to the states OF
Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee
Tor two or three days after it Was known that all
those states had given large democratic majorties
Then when they found that without the state OF
New York Cleveland would be beaten they tried TO
Dag the state OF New York. While the Tribune and
other Blaine organs were railing at the democrats
for claiming New York when, as they alleged, Il
was impossible TO tell how the vote stood, Blaine
lmpudently announced that he hadcarrted the state
and was 70 be defrauded out Of IT, Then his organs
also claimed the state, declaring that their pre-
cinct figures, supplied by the lying Associated
Press were the only correct figures and that these
for Blaine. PRESENTLY these Sery Hssociated Press
returns were reversed and showed q plurality for
cleveland. Then Blaine and his friends alleged
that changes would take place on the ofrcial
count, and that these changes would elect Blaine.
They could know OF no such changes unless they
were frauds OF their own continuance and commits
sion. But to cover up their tracks the Blaineites
raised the cry OF democratic frauds In the count
ane repueneans have control OF more than four
nfths OF the counties or the state outside OF New
York. They alone have the opportunity TO COM
init frauds there. In the democratic city OF New
lork the election machinery is wholly in the hands
lnocCneht- The republicans alone have the oppor-
tunity to commit frauds here. The crime OF dis.
the loss OF millions to business men and our In
dustres Let the responsibility be fixed where It
The Tribune in leader to-day saws "It IA asked oy
many why there should be any doubt as 70 the re
suit OF an election after kilograms have been re-
ceived from the different Counties announcing
what is called the Official vote In those counties
There fs first conflict OF dispatches as TO the re-
SUIT In the different counties. The dispatches re-
u
with the dispatches received by the republican
committee Nothing but the Official count can de-
terhine which Information as TO any county Is cor
rect The returns hitherto called 'oficiar are not
In TACT, OF that character, until they have been
ofncially canvaSsed by the county boards which
meet today: In some OF the boards the labor OF
canvasslng the vote Is usually prolonged several
days. But the duty OF the canvassing board is In
all cases. the same-to ascertain from the returns
What the actual vote was In the different precincts
and where the returns are defective or blind or on
their face probably erroneous-to examine the In
spectors and cause the returns TO be corrected In
cases OF doubt, this labor requires delay OF one
more daya IL should not be matter OF surprise
that the result OF the election Is thought TO turn
upon these examinations or the returns. There are
something like 5000 election precincts In the state
and errors averaging not more than one vote for
each precinct would cover far more than the plu-
rallty Claimed for either candidate. Nor is IL by
any means TO be presumed that the returns first
made are accurate. Experienced attorneys state
at least 900 OF the returns from the city alone
usually require correction. As rule the correc-
lions In favor OF one party nearly balance those In
favor OF the other party but there can be no GER
talnty until the returns have been examined Of1c-
ally canVasSed and finally corrected But In every
important election there also arise questions affect
Ing the decision OF the inspectors. In many dis
tricts large number OF defective ballots are Of
fered and these In every election, whether counted
or rejected, make considerable difference In
the result. 1t is claimed, for instance, that
more than 900 defective ballots OF the one party
or the other have been rejected by the inspectors
OF election on Tuesday last III IT should prove
that In strict conformity to law Q larger proper
ton OF these should have been counted for one
party than Tor the other the result might depend
upon that decision The fact Is that the number
OF such defective ballots at the recent election
larger than usual and the questions TO be decided
Ia lee ard to them present unusual difficulties. In
almost every case also returns are made which are
obviously erroneous though 1t becomes very Dir.
ncuit matter TO decide what the correct returns
should have been In each case. Inspectors often
report, for example, larger number or votes cast
Tor the several candidates than appear from their
total statement To have been Cast for all candi-
dates In such cases the inspector must be re-
quired to show which OF the two statements Is the
correct one, and how far, II at all the vote for the
several candidates requires modification. When IL
Is considered that such errors every year In
hundreds or election districts In the state, that
they average more than dozen votes for each,
and that the correction OF them In the final can
VaSS rarely fails to change the result more than
500 votes II Will be seen that II is altogether i'm
Tor confidence that the official canvass will show
plurality for either candidate Ii the honest be-
Lief or the supporters OF MIR. Blaine that he re-
ceived plurality OF the votes actually cast Many
supporters OF Mr.. Cleveland have a belief doubt
less equally honest that the plurality OF the votes
actually cast was In his favor. Nothing but the
most Careful and ScrupulOuS canvass OF the returns
can determine which Is right Meantime IL is
known that as early as Sunday last the inside
democratic county had been reduced By themselves
TO less than $50 plurality In the state With only
discovered what Candid man IS vet warranted In
considering the result aScertained?"