The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-12-03
THERE II SOMETHING ROTTEN IN
THESE FIGURES.

when the press reports Of the late
election were stating that Mckinley
had swept all the doubtful central
western States by big majorities,
that Chairman Butler would not
ooncede McKinley's election even
after other campaign managers had
given up. He stated that he had re-
liable information showing that
Bryan had made gains in States like
Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota,
California and other States big
enough to give him the electoral
votes Of theso States by good jor
tiles. Even when the State chair
man in these States conceded that
Mckinley had carried them Chair
man Butler said that he could not
understand it and insisted that there
was something wrong.
The official count CT the vote in
these States is now coming out and
they throw much light on the matter.
The vote tabulated in Ohio, Iowa,
Minnesota and ILdiana show that
there is something not only wrong
but very rotten.
In Indiana the following are the
complete figures as taken from the
official returns:
Democratic and Peoples, 3O5, 425;
323,S2S; Prohibitionist, 1856; Gold
Standard, alag; National, 2,2GS;
Socialist Labor, 1913. McKinley's
plurality, lS,403; McKinley's ma
jority, 9,6lO. Total vote east, 637 ,O46.
In 1892 the same totals showed the
following vote: Democratic, 2G2, 740;
Republican, 255,615; PrOhibitic mist,
l3.O5O; Populist, 90 u Total vote,
553,613.
This shows an increase of SO. 433
votes since the last Presidential cleo
ton. This is an unreasonable in
crease, when we consider that the
last Republican candidate was Mr..
Harrison and that he lives in Indiana.
1t was claimed in 1892 that Harri-
son brought out a remar kably full
vote. Therefore there was Little stay
at home vote to swell this tremtnd-
Gus increased vote. The increase d
vote would indicate that the popu-
lation of that State had increased
half million since the last election,
and this is unreasonable. Another
thing that proves that this incre as
cd vote is not straight is that nearly
the whole Of it is counted for McKin-
ley. Just think of it, Bryan this
year got 10000 more votes in Indiana
than Harrison got in 1892. Now a
man who could gain $4,000 of the
votes that were cast for Harrison
in 1892, would certainly get at least
half of the increased vote if it was
not bogus. 1t is clear that the gold
ring bought up election officers and
stuffed the ballot boxes or made this
increase in some other unlawful way
and counted it all for Mckinley.
Now let Us look at Ohio. That
State this year gave AIS, 900 votes
for Bryan. This is $1,000 more than
1t gave Cleveland four years ago,
when the vote was SO close that one
Of the Cleveland electors was elect
ed, and is the largest vote ever hith-
ssto given by that State to any cand-
idste, Democratic or Republican. 1t
is 10000 more than Campbell re-.
ceived last year, and 4S,OOO more
than Bushnell, the present Governor
OF the State received. The big
gsst vote ever received by any
Republican candidate up to 1896 was
Bushnel's vote in 1895, and that was
Az, 900. This year Bryan beat Bush
nell's vote by $4,000, and yet he is
reported as defeated by, say $4,000
majority.
How was it donei The returns
show that the total vote of that State
this year is 2t9, 7S4 votes more than
was cast last year QS95) The con-
Test in that State last year for Gov
'raor was . very exciting one, and
The vote was 100000 larger than
sver cast before in the State. The
Republicans tried to explain the
great increase then by saying that
every vote in the State was cast
hen for the first time. On the other
hand the Democrats charged that
votes were imported and that ballot
boxes were stuffed. They showed
hat the population of the State was
3,S25, 600, and that counting one
voter for every Ave of population
that the total vote could not be over
$4,000 while the returns showed
SAG, SOC votes. Now here comes {.
Presidential election only one year
later and the total vote Is $50 444
larger than it was last year.
There Is something very rotten
here. No one can claim that the
population Of Ohio has increased
over . million in one year, and it
would take such an increase of pop
alation to explain this increase Of |,
Tote even if the election was honest
n 1895. In short comparing the
and the total vote in
D iio this year, it would show that
asarly one person out Of every three
u population Counting women.