Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-11-14
THE OFFICIAL COUNT
Gives kentucky to Mckinley by a
Small Plurality.
Statement by Chairman Roberts Explain
Ing Alleged Discrepancies In For
mer Claims by the Repub-
l!can COMMITTEE.

LOUISVILLE, KY, Nov mckinley
has certainly got IL of Kentucky's 10
electoral votes. The official count by
the canvassing boards was completed
this afternoon, but the returns
are slow In coming in, and at this
hour, nine o'clock, it Is impossible to
give the 'etal vote with any degree Of
accuracy. The totals of the official
count in this (Jefferson) county have
not been announced, but Mckinley
gained about $50 votes on his plural
ity of 1871.
The Official count In almost every
county heard from shows that Kast,
the first republican and Smith, the
first democratic clector, lead their
tickets by from so to 100 votes, and
this insures Bryan one elector.
Up to nine o'clock it was impossible
to secure statement from democratic
headquarters. The rooms were dark
and the hotel clerk at the Willard said
National Committeeman Ury Woodson
had gone home. Secretary Richard
son of the state committee could not
be found.
At six o'clock the following bulletin
was issued from republican head
quarters:
"Kentucly has gone republican for
the first time in its history in
presidential year. Official returns
from Ill counties, and reliable
unofficial returns from the other
eight counties give Mckinley ass plu-
rality. Four years ago the state gave
Cleveland 10000 plurality over Harri-
son and gave Weaver, the populist
candidate, 1900 votes. The fusion of
the democrats and populists this year
was complete and the victory for Nc
Kinley means, therefore, reversal of
$4,000 votes based on the figures of
1892
"Our silver friends make great ado
over 1000 republican gain in the elev-
enth district, but see nothing remark
able in gain of 1000 democratic plu-
rality in single county In the first
district. They also affect surprise
that the republican state committee
has been sticking to its claim Of 400 to
600 plurality for Mckinley, in spite of
the discovery of grave errors against
Bryan in Hardin, Fayette, Galloway
and other counties, and say that when
ever Bryan made gain in this way |
sent cipher. dispatch to the Eleventh
d.St~'"t for corresponding addition
| to tho MnEin ,,ur W.,
"At Eve o'clock on the morning utter
the election we realized that the re.
suit would be very close, and wired
every county chairman who could be
reached to rush complete unofficial re-
turns and to closely watch the official
count. On the strength OF the an
swers to the messages l issued a bulle-
tin Wednesday evening which was
published in all the Louisville papers,
saying among other things: The
democrats will 60 to the Eleventh dis
trict with 1000 in their favor. Re-
turns from one-half the counties of
the Eleventh district already in assure
considerably over 14,O0O republican
plurality.
"This bulletin was based upon actual
unofficial figures from every county
but FIVE, and has stood the test from
last Wednesday until to-day in spite
of errors of newspaper correspondents
and the surprising claims of free sill
yer leaders. evidently based upon be-
fore. .the-election estimates rather than
upon election returns. This commit
tee has had nothing to do with the
conflicting reports of newspapers, and
the big gains and losses they have
been finding in unofficial returns for
several days have not changed our ta'
bles at any time.
1.-THE official count has resulted in
occasional changes from our unofficial
figures, but they have about balanced
each other and my figures of Wednes-
day are practically confirmed by the
official count.
cat this writing our almost complete
returns show that the democrats go to
the Eleventh district with 1882 in
their favor and are met there with A.
27s republican plurality, giving net
plurality of 356 for Mckinley.
i (Signed s. J. ROBERTS,
Chairman"