The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-11-19
STILL WAITING FOR WEST VIRGINIA.
Doubtful Inform alton Compiled from
Very Meagre Returns.
General Harrison's Policy Will Be
National, Not Sectional.


National, Not Sectional.
Mr.. Posey to Make a Contest in
His Congressional District.
NEW YORK, Nov. ia Charleston, w.
Va, despatch to the Tribune says:
West Virginia is still enveloped in mist
of doubt, which can only be dissipated by
the official count. Except ON the electoral
ticket, the vote is so close that perhaps 100
tween the two parties on the State ticket,and
in the three congressional districts in dispute
namely the 1st. Sd and 4th, the majorities
will not aggregate one hundred. There
seems to be no doubt about the success of
the Democratic electoral ticket. Official and
other reliable data received by the Secretary
of State from about one-half the State,
point to this result by majority ranging
from 800 to 1000. On the State and congress
sional tickets the trouble arises from the ab-
sence of reliable returns and the difficulty
of procuring them in advance of the official
count All conjectures based on data thus
far received make the result close. The Re-
publicans claim Goff's election by about 200
majority, based on data already received and
on the estimated vote of the counties not yet
reported. The maj0rities given out and pub
lished since election day are inaccurate. un-
reliable and misleading, and this applies to
the majOrities reported on both sides. Men
have brought and sent figures here. who
were positive as to their correctness, which
the certificates accompanying the official re-
roneous. Secretary of State Walker says
that in few instances where he had fur
nished, upon application, the official figures,
those receiving them had deliberately made
changes and had the altered figures publish
S Is apon n1 such sas ae
data and upon such altered figures that
claims are based for the election of Goff and
Fleming. respectively, as well as for the
election Of the the three congressman in dis
pute:, Secretary Walker expressed the be-
lief that Fleming is elected by about 100 ma
jority. This belief is founded ON an exami-
nation of the certificates now in hand and on
answers from county officials charged with
the custody of the sealed packages. So far
as errors and mistakes in computation have
been discovered, the result has not been af-
fected, as these are about equal. Secretary
Walker described the present situation when
he said:
while | believe Fleming will be elected
by about 100 majority, yet it is not improba-
BILE that when all the returns are in they may
count will alone determine the result. Nei
ther candidate will have more than 100 ma
jority."
Democratic Claim
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1S.-T. S. Riley,
chairman of the Democratic State Commit
tee of West Virginia, has sent the following
despatch to the post from Wheeling:
Official returns from the State are suffi-
ciently ascertained to warrant the announce
ment Of the election of Judge A. B. Fleming,
Democratic candidate for governor by a
small but sure majority The rest of the
The legislature will stand on Joint ballot 46
Democrats, "A Republicans and one Labor
Union, Independent
The President and the South.
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 1.-THE speculation
and gossip about the President-elect relate
largely to his so-called Southern policy. The
problem is discussed editorially at great
length in the journal, and the article is re-
garded as a reliable indication of the ideas
entertained by the Presidentelect. Assum-
ing that it is the South that makes the
Southern question" the assertion is made
that it has been the peculiar ''fad" of the
Southern gentlemen to wrap themselves up
in a cloak of their own grandeur, and to sit
gloomy and peculiar through all the years Of
Republican administration, declining to lcon-
slider themselves part of homogeneous peo-
pie, but forever prattling about "the South,
as though that were a distinctive portion of
the United States needing distinctive and
peculiar treatment. All this is deprecated.
The journal declares that General Harrison
will not have one policy for the North and
another for the South. or for the East, or for
the West. he will have a National policy,
asI broad as the Nation and as patriotic as the
Constitution. The article adds:
"We feel certain there are men strong
enough and able enough in the South, dev0t-
ed to the furure of their own States and
homes, to break down the inane prejudice
that has SO long kept them out of their share
of the good things of the nation
1t evidently is the fear of the Southern
people, that. in bringing about this changed
condition, forcible means may be employed.
Numerous letters and kilograms that have
been received by General Harrison Indicate
that such feeling prevails. 1t is ground
less; but, nevertheless, there is certainly
some uneasiness. Probably the leading
Southern advocate of election reforms Is
General Reuben Davis, of Mississippi. He
was here yesterday and had an interview
with General Harrison. He is a cousin of
Jefferson Davis, and has long been promi-
nent in politics in Mississippi as an lnde-
pendent, having left the Democratic party
many years ago. In the late Presidential
campaign be delivered Republican speeches,
Blaine. He has his ideas as to how reform
in the elections may be brought about.
While willing to express them to General
Harrison, he does not care to give them to
the public. Immediately after his interview
with the President-elect he started for the
South.
New York Figures.
+lo
State of New York has been officially can
yassed and the returns made in all but two
counties, New York and Kings. The official
returns for the two counties mentioned will
not differ to any extent from the figures al
ready published. The total vote for Presi-
dent was 1,279,639 Total vote for governor,
1,276,S37. Cleveland's vote, 632 1923; Harri-
sop's vote, 46,716; Hills vote, 646.772: Mil
ler's vote, 63O,065. Governor Hill leads all
the principal candidates. He received 56
more votes that General Harrison, and 16, 707
more than Warner Miller. Governor Hill
had 54,411 votes less than Warner Miller,
outside of New York and Kings counties, his
total vote outside of the two counties men,
toned being 39S,4s Warner Miller had a
total of 452, ,899 In the same localities. The
combined vote of New York and Kings
counties was: Hill, 24S, ,2S4; Cleveland, 242,-
3l4; Miller, III, 1866; Harrison, 173,40 This
shows that Hill led Cleveland 500; Miller,
ills; Harrison, 74,sS2. General Harrison
comes second on the total vote, receiving
1873 more than Cleveland and 1861 more
Miller. Mr. Cleveland received 632, 1923
votes. Warner Miller stands at the foot of
the list, with total vote of 630,065 votes.
Outside of New York and Kings county
Harrison received 473,3l4. Cleveland fol
lowed with 3906O9 This gives Harrison a
plurality of so, 705 outside of the two coun-
ties mentioned. Cleveland's plurality in
New York and Kings was 6S,912 This
leaves 13,793 as Harrison's plurality in the
State.
MIR. Posey will Contest.
EVANSVILLE, Ind, Nov. 17.-Speculation
as to the extreme closeness Of the next lower
House of Congress will be stimulated by the
published determination to contest the seat
from this, the frs. congressional district Of
Indiana. Judge Wm. F. Parrett, the DEM
ocratic candidate, was elected with the mar
row m argin Of "a votes out of 25,000 votes
cast. His opponent, Frank B. Posey, in an
interview, declares that he will contest upon
A. e a.