The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-10-26

WASHINGTON, Oct 25.-The presi-
dental election of Tuesday, Nov. 8, next
will be held under conditions which have
never before prevailed, and which will
render the official count a matter of
difficulty and unusual delay.
Since the last presidential contest, al
most every state which had not then
adopted the Australian ballot system has
by state enactment prescribed some form
of secret blanket ballot, either based on
the Australian plan or closely resembling
il.
The only exceptions are Georgia,
- siana, North Carolina and South
Carolina. In the first three states named
the old open ballot system prevails, and
the election machinery is in the hands of
the state authorities.
In South Carolina there is what is
cslled reform ballot" the avowed
purpose of which is to restrict the votes
of illiterate negroes.
In nearly all the other states. blanket
ballots will be cast and in many of them
the count will be complicated by the fact
that state, legislative and county nomi-
nations are all printed on the same ball
lot with the names of presidential cleo
tors.
Connecticut has an envelope system,
and New Jersey prints each party ticket
upon square ballot.
IN CASE IT is CLOSE.
Should the election be in any way
close, it is. therefore, quite possible that
1t may be "A hours or even As hours after
the polls are closed before the result is
known with absolute certainty.
In states like Nebraska, for instance,
where according to conservative opinion
there may not be a margin of 5000 votes
either way. 1t will be impossible 10 arrive
at correct judgment until the back coun-
ties are heard from. The polls in the
cities of some states close at p. m, but
in the country districts keep open until
! Is. = al tue nd
county officers to elect, all on one ballot,
1t will take at least "A hours to complete
the count.
Some idea of the general trend of votes
in Ohio can probably be obtained from
/ the result of counties in which Cincinnati
| and Cleveland are respectively situated,
and these results will probably be known
state it is anticipated will go pretty much
as 1t has done in previous presidential
years. The doubtful points are Hamilton
| and Cuyahoga counties.
Chicago will control Illinois. There will
be no doubt of the. outcome when the
vote Of Cook county is recorded
IN DOUBTFUL STATES.
But in other doubtful states Ike
Indiana, Michigan and Kansas, where
state and legislative tickets also COM
plicate the ballots, there will probably be
no keynote from which the result can be
definitely determined on Tuesday night
unless the election should prove a land
Slide IN that case, midnight may give
close idea who are the v.etors and who
the vanquished. Otherwise there may be
many hours of anxious suspense.
me last two presidential elections have
been sinsularly free from uncertainty II
was known at 10 p. M on election day in
1883. that Mr. Harrison had defeated Mr.
Cleveland, and it was known with equal
certs-nty at II D. m. on election day in
1892. that Mr.; Cleveland had defeated Mr.
Harrison. But in the election of 1884
when Mr.. Cleveland defeated Mr.. Blaine
the official result hung in doubt over
the vote of New York for days.
FUSION TICKETS.
The fusion tickets will add a further
element of difficulty in the presidential
count this year.
F.:a!on has been arranged between the
Populists and the Democrats on the cleo
toral ticket in every Democratic state
but Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia,
Alabama, Florida and Texas. In several
of the southern states while there has
beer no formal fusion between the Re-
publicans and Populists on state, Iegisla-
ture and congressman local arrangements
have been made that amount to fusion
and will have more or less to do with
| the result.
The following states will elect governors
Colorado. Connecticut Delaware, Idaho,
Illinois. Indiana, Kansas. Massachusetts,
Michigan. Minnesota, Missouri, Montana,
4 Nebraska. New Hampshire, New York,
North Carolina. North Dakota, South
Carolina. South Dakota, Tennessee,
Texas. Washington, West Virginia and
Wisconsin.
The following states will elect legisla-
lures:
California. Colorado, Connecticut, Della
ware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa.
Kansas. Kentucky (seven vacancies);
Michigan, Minnesota. Missouri, Montana.
Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire New
Jersey, New York (part), North Carolina,
North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South
Carolina. South Dakota, Tennessee,
Texas, Utah. Virginia, Washington, West
Virginia. Wisconsin and Wyoming.