New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-11
NO ACCURACY BEFORE THE OFFICIAL
COUNT

COCNI.
Conflicting statements of the public press
and political committees concerning the results
of elections are by no means an uncommon oc-
currence The files of the New ork press tor
November. 1850, develop three important facts.
One Is that it required fifteen days to determine
accurately the official result in the State, al
though General Garfield had carried IL by
upwards of twenty thousand. Another Is
that the returns as gwen in the newspapers
differed much more widely than at present,
when the majority either way is claimed by
only about thousand. Lastly, that the very
rancrs " bich are now most critical OF those
who doubt the returns they publish were thch
most open in their admissions that errors were
of FREQUENT occurrence and that accurate ii%ures
could only be ascertained when the 0lhclal can
voss was complete. The World for three con-
secutivc days published table OF the vote ny
counties in which the majority Tor Garleid was
stated as below noted
November 49,
November
No further figures on the State were given in
The World until November 18. when dis
notcb from Albany gave the official count ut
81 .eo3. On the days on which the tables were
unfinished The World made comments as fol-
lows:
Nav 3-"FigiIres indicate n Republican majority OF
ia 600 10 900 II may 20 above the latter figure and
possbly below the former when tho full returns are re-
ceiycd"
Nov 4-"The lnteat returns from this state place the
majority for Garfield electors at from $1,000 to 2oooo
n may possibly reach the hitter figure.
Nov D." Tho additional returns OF TUESDAY seloctoH
,,ato Mr. uarlcd's apparent majority IN the
state Il ,i87 10 viii not range much from loooo'
Tbe Heraids county and other estimates re-
veal the following variations in the majority
cnmcd for Garfield
November go g9e oa9
Nn,rmhnt , NM
November su'vtV
Nov eMhei ~ ..... ~ ,,5
M, rmhrt 20 mnlral .4ttl4tii4. ei''''
,rh,,, ,,trncta from The HerdM bear out tho
n,lniAAionA oi NE Ioridi
Nov. a. Complete RETURNS viii 40 doubt mako
senalhe alteration ana 81 thu other In thn f"u'hH
A Ia protty we'll understood that ,hrhod'a majority WIZ
reach hetwoeu ahooo aud 10000"
Nov. A." Tho rotnrns which came In from tho H"'o
met might do not materially alter our estimate of Gar
o.,I. unfairly According tn the closest hpirng
I'M, maiority will stand hotweon 10000 ana 2oooo
n must now take the official canvass to determine any
alteration N this abatement"
Nor was The Sun exempt from starting
variations. The only table by counties 1t pub
Eshcd was on November 3. The footings were
no, made. but showed 1904 majority for Car
field The sun said;
Nov 9-"N now York state goes Republican by 10000
or more"
Nov d-"rho returns from New.York state 40 NOT
materially change tho result gwen In The sun yo"tor
dav Mr. Garnclds majority will be not far from
20 600" 80
Noy 5.' n now sccms probable that tho figures WIN
he not far from 20 o0O aud thcy may DO oonsldorapo
less" $500
On November IL and 10 The Sun published
the results of the canvass by the State 0lllcils.
qhc qimes's tables ran in this wise
November otf
November ana
--'''"
TIE TRiBUNE's first table by counties III
1880 WAS published on November A. ana
showed for Garfield majority OF 22,32o. IL
was revised next day to %, 2O5. On November
A The TRIBUNE said:
Estimates at . a. show a majority for Garhe" oi
90 295 This may be increased by later returns W
%, 600 and cannot, 1t Is believed fall below 2o'ooo
II will be seen from these extracts and COM
ro,isops that even in a yearlike 1880, whcnth
election WAS practically unquestioned, 1t was
imnossible for the papers or the committees to
ogrce ON the maiorities, and that 1t required
| tho official canvass To determine
| e'''