The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-11-10

they could on Tuesday night some of them
OF course getting what others did not. The
result was that it became evident on We'd
desday morning that they disagreed, and
that the vote of the State was likely to be
close. Now the law in New York requires
thai within twenty-four hours of the closing
OF the polls, the inspectors who count the
vote in each polling district, shall make a
return in duplicate, one returns to be depos-
tied with the town clerk, the other to be de-
posted with the county clerk, this latter is
the one used by the County canvassing
board in making the official record of the
vote of the County which is transmitted to
the Secretary of State for the use of the
State canvassing board ia ascertaining Off
cially the result in the whole State. Taking
advantage of this circumstance the New
York papers already mentioned at once took
steps to ascertain The result by counties as
shown by the official returns from the poll
ing districts deposited with the county
clerk, But the Associated Press kept on,
according to its original scheme of having
reported to the central Office in New York
the declaration made in each voting district
at the close of the polls, and as fast as new
returns were received they were aggregated
with the rest the drift being shown by the
report of loss from Gariefti's vote. This
continued until Thursday night, and al
though the reports by different methods
came nearer and nearer together, the Asso-
ciated Press report, upon which we relied
with great confidence, still gave Blaine
a plurality, while the other reports still gave
Cleveland plurality.
But on Thursday night some of the New
York papers had obtained from nearly the
whole Stale reports of the official returns de-
posted with the county clerks, and all of
them showed plurality for Cleveland al
though they did not agree. This fact APP
pears to have caused the Associated Press
to suspect that there might be errsrs in its
reports, and late that night, several hours
after the addresses of the National and State
Republican Committees claiming the State
were issued, the Associated Press sent out a
statement that it would make Thorough re-
vision and verifcation of its returns the
next day, accompanied by Statement: that
the chances of error in the transmission of
the separate returns by districts were great
er than when computations were made in
the county clerks Offices and only the ag-
gregates for the several counties telegraphed
This was an admission by the Associated
Press that the reports giving cleveland
majority were more reliable than its own.
This being so it was probable that Cleve-
land had carried the State.
How could the Associated Press verify its
returns by districts at that date? The votes
could not be recounted. 1t might get the de-
spatches originally filed in every place re-
peated to show they were transmitted cor
rectly, bu. that would not eliminate the err
rors of its agents in writing the dispatches,
If any were made. II might obtain in each
town and city report of the official returns
of each polling district, or get the same
from each county seat. We do not know
what course it took; but at three O'Clock on
Saturday morning dispa.ch was received
and with eighteen districts wanting the veri-
fed and revised returns gave Cleveland
plurality of 1850. This was great disap-
pointment. 1. brought into accord all the
returns of votes in detail of which we
had any knowledge as unfavorable to
the Republicans. Early that evening the
Republican National Committee had issued
an address in which they said, ssWe have no
means of determining the result in this
State except the election district returns"
and the last previous despatch received from
Augusta, said Everybody is waiting for the
full returns Of the Associated Press which it
is understood will come to night" 1t APP
pears therefore that both the Republican
Committee and Mr.. Blaine were relying
largely on the Associated Press's returns by
districts to show the true vote of the State.
When these were received and they agreed
substantially with the returns by counties
given in the New York papers it was seri-
GUS disappointment.
But on Saturday the Republican National
Committee issued two addresses, in one of
which they say 'swe have carried New York;
the official count will confirm it,' ami in
the other. referred to at the beginning of this
article, they say they believe they have plu-
rality of several hundred votes, that they are
taking the most careful and thorough meas
ures to ascertain if there have been errors or
frauds, and in effect ask the public to sus-
pend judgment until the vote is officially
declared. We learn also from Augusta
that Mr.. Blaine is still confident that
it will in due time clearly appear
that he is entitled to the electoral votes of
New York. We are as much in the dark as
the people at large must be as to the grounds
of this confidence 1t rests upon unrevealed
facts and circumstances concerning the
reality and decisiveness of which those who
do not know them can form no valuable
judgment.
Republicans however owe sufficient respect
to the judgment of eur candidate, and our
National Committee to hold on to our hope
while they give such assurances of conf
dence that The truth is not shown by the
nnfavorable returns that have already been
made public. When we know what
they know it will be time to form
judgment upon the validity and
weight of the reasons they have for
their assurances of an ultimate favorable is
sue of this great contest. We believe that
the majority of the people of New York
and of the whole country desire that the
elected President shall be seated, and that,
Notwithstanding the premature cengratula- |
tions and jubliations of our Democratic |
rivals, the patriotic and judicious among
them would say as the Boston Herald said |
on Saturday morning, "And 10 day, reason
able as The belief seems thai Governor
Cleveland is elected, if the official returns
from New York shall prove it to be other
wise, we shall cheerfully submit to the dis
appointment" That is the proper atti-
tude of mind in which to await the official |
declaration of the result of an election when |
the issue is disputed.
As for US, we shall continue, as before.