The Republican journal., 1896-10-29
The Election Next Tuesday,
Result In Doubtful States May Not be known for
Day or two Owing to Australian Ballot Law and
the Length Of the Tickets,

Ihe Presidential election November Sd
will be held under conditions which have
never before prevailed, which will render
the ohclal count matter of difficulty and
unusual delay Since the last Presidential
contest almost 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 resent bling
1t. Ihe only exceptions are Georgia, Louis
lana, 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 au-
thorltieS. In South Carolina there is what
is called 'reform ballot the avowed pur-
pose of which is to restrict the votes of iliit-
crate negroes In nearly all other States
blanket ballot will be cast, and in many of
them the count will be complicated by the
tact that the State, legislative, and county
nominations are printed on the ballot with
the names of Presidential electors.
Connecticut has an envelope system, and
New Jersey prints each party ticket upon
separate ballot.
Should the election be in any way close it
may be "a hours or even 4S hours after the
polls close before the result is known with
absolute certainty. In States like Nebraska,
for instance, where according to tonserva-
tive opinion there may not be a margin of
5000 votes either way it will be impossible
to arrive at a correct Judgment until all
back counties are heard from. The polls in
the cities close at T. N. and in the country
districts keep open until p. m, and with
governor, legislature and county officers to
elect, all on one ballot, it will take at least
six hours to complete the count.
Some idea of the general trend of the vote
in Ohio can be obtained from the result of
the counties in which Cincinnati and Cleve-
land are respectively situated, and these re-
suits will probably be known comparatively
RI Tho nf ba Stata 10 ioip
ed, will go pretty much as it has done in pre-
vious 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 other close States, like Indiana, Michi-
gan and Kansas, where State and legislative
tickets also complicate the ballots, there
will probably be no keynote from which the
result can be definitely determined Tuesday
night unless the election should prove a
landslide. In that case midnight may give
a clear idea of the victors, otherwise there
may be many hours of anxious suspense.
The last two Presidential elections have
been singularly free from uncertainty.
1t was known by 10 p. N. of election day
in 1888 that Mr.. Harrison had defeated Mr..
Cleveland and it was known with equal
certainty at II p. NJ. of election day in 1892
that Mr.. Cleveland had defeated Mr. Harri-
son. In the election of 1884 when Mr.. Cleve-
land defeated Mr.. Blaine, the official result
hung in doubt over the vote of New York
for days.
The fusion tickets will add further ele-
ment of difficulty in the Presidential count
this year. Fusion has been arranged be-
tween the Populists and Democrats on the
electoral ticket in every Democratic State
but Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Ala
bama, Florida and Texas. In several south
ern States while there has been no formal
fusion between the Republicans and Popu-
lists on Legislatures and congressman, local
arrangements made that amount to fusion
Will have more or less to dc with the result
The following States will elect governors
November 3rd
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, MassacE usetts,
Michigan, Minnesota. Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York.
North Carolina, North Dakota, South Da-
lzota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West
Virginia, Wisconsin and South Carolina.
The following States will elect legsla-
lures:
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Della
ware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Kentucky, (seven yacancies) Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Montana Nebraska,
Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York, (parD, North Carolina, North
Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,
South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wis
consin, Wyoming.