Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-11-06
votes, Cleveland 1852, and 70 are in
doubt The returns show large gains
of Republican congressman.

OF Republican congressman.
-ED>. go. w.
At midnight of last night the ex-
element attendant upon the result of
the election was still running high.
News from New York was awaited by
every one with interest, and it began
to be appreciated how close is this
contest for national supremacy. Dark
as is the uncertainty which still covers
the actual vote in several other states,
it is felt that the voice of New York
will be decisive; but there are as yet
no returns that afford basis for GER
tain prediction. AS far as heard from
at this writing, all but I 100 Of the
majority given to Cleveland in the
cities of New York and Brooklyn has
been overcome by the Blaine majorities
throughout the state, while 234 voting
districts remain to be heard from.
These remaining districts gave
Garfield in 1880 some 1900 majority
over Hancock. Admitting a Repub-
lican loss equal to the greatest percent
age that can be figured out from the
remainder of the state, this ought to
give Mr.. Blaine plurality Of at least
from 1000 to 5000 votes in New
York State. Republicans claim a
majority greater than this, while on
the other hand the chairman of the
Democratic committee insists, on what
presumption no one knows, that Cleve-
land has carried the state by from
1000 to 5000 majority. The close
ness and uncertainty of the contest
have intensified interest and awakened
excitement here. At the hour named
one band of Republicans and another
of Democrats were marching and
countermarching in the streets, each
attempting to surpass the other in
assumption of confidence aud boist-
rousness of demonstration. Nothing
like this has been seen since the fight
of 1876, and the scenes of last night,
with the evidently narrow margin upon
which either party must build its hopes
of success, recall most forcibly the
events of that unhappy and dangerous
time. While it would appear practi-
cally we'll assured that the Republi.
can plurality in New York will be
large enough to settle the contest be-
yond doubt. 1t is not imposs IDLE
that, when all the returns are In, the
state will be close enough to tempt a
contest. 1t is not impossible, though
it is happily improbable, that a repeti-
ton of the events of eight years ago,
so strongly suggested by the expcr-
fences of last night, may again
confront the nation. If this should by
any chance prove true. it must be
borne in mind that the country has
the Democratic party to thank for the
shameful negligence and still more
shameful obstruction which has allow
ed two administrations to lapse since
the creation of the electoral commits
sion without adequate preparation
against just such an emergency as
called that body into being. Upon
every congress that has assembled
since then has been urged the vital
necessity Of providing against con-
tingency which once subjected the
constitution to strain so severe. The
Republican party has been ready and
willing to apply the proper remedy.
Its eblest constitutional lawyer matur-
ed plan which provided for
the counting of the electoral votes &C
cording to law and justice. That plan
was approved almost without objection
by the senate Of the United States.
1t failed solely because of Democrat
Eaton of Connecticut, who antagoniz-
ed it in the house with proposition
of his own as absurd in theory as it
was impracticable in application. He
proposed an amendment which would
prevent the counting of the returns
from any state. whether contested or
not, upon objection of a single
member of either house, unless a
majority of each house should order
them to be counted. 1t is not prob
able that he expected to consent
to a scheme which would put it in