Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-15
rBE PESrIT IN NEBBaSKA.

TRE RESULT IN NEBRASKA.
The outcome OF the campaign I'm Ne.
brGska has already been made public,
! but an analysis Of the returns will prove
genuine revelation. II was generally
/ believed that the vote pollcd two years
ago had been inflated 10y several thou
sand non.rcsidcntS imported from adia-
cont states Nobody on either side of
the contest therefore, rcckouel upon Il
heavier vote this year than was cast
In 1891, when the vote for governor az
crrgatcd 2OIO1G. This figure has been
oycrtopppd this year by fully 10000.
As reported by counties the returns
show that Nebraska has in 1896 broken
the record by casting over 10000 more
votes than were cast in 1880 during the
great prohibition campaign, when Ill
OOO votes were pollrd.
The marked increase in the vote has
staggered the most astuto party leaders
and played smash with all calculations
and forecasts while the fusionist cam
paign managers had claimed the state
10y 2j,OOO for Bryan, they really had 40
other basis for their claim than the fact
that the vote Of Cleveland and Weaver
in the last presidential election would
II combined have diStanced Harrison by
2O.SGI votes. While the republicans
doubtless had great odds to overcome,
yet the result shows conclusivcly that
Mckinley would have carried Nebraska
this year in spite of fusion but for the
UNEXPECTEDLY enormous increase in the
aggregate vote. In 1892 Harrison re-
ccivcd ST,213 votes, while 1913 $50 were
east for Mckinley this year. In other
words, the republican vote this year
was increased by more than 10000 over
the presidential vote four years ago.
when the total vote for president was
POO, 1872. Had the vote been increased
by not more than 5000 or 5000 the
state would have been carried for Me
kinlcy with 1O3.25O votes. inaSmuch as
the Palmer and Buckner and the prOhi-
bition and socialist vote. which will az
grcgate not less than 5000. would have
left Bryan below the 100000 mark. With
an increase of 2I,OOO votes over the
number pollcd in 1892 Bryans vote of
III. $50 exceeds the combined Weaver
and Cleveland vote of 1892 by TT62
votes, so that the fusion gains were very
much less than those of the republicans.
The state ticket also exhibits some
very singular freaks of the voter. The
number of votes cast for the office of
governor is less by over 5000 than the
vote east for president Where these
votes were lost ana why they were not
east will always be mystery. The dis
crcpancy seems, however. for some rca-
son TO be almost entirely on the repub-
lican side of the column. Governor
lIolcOmb received very nearly the same
vote that was registered for Bryan, and
MacColl falling behind Mckinley over
5000 votes runs up IIolcomb'S plurality
To about 2l.O0O. The most notable drop
in the vote pOllcd for MacCOll is in Ian
caster county, where he runs 1, ,525 votes
| below the vote east two years ago for
Majors and LOGO below the vote given
| by Lancaster county to Mckinley, and
| yet HolcOmb runs 94S votes behind
| Bryan in Lancaster county, showing
| Conclusvoly that the votes withheld
| from MacColl We're not given to Hol-
comb. but probably east in blank.
When the official returns are opened
and made public we may take occasion
| tn make further comparisons as TO other
! features Of the contest that may prove
| interesting as Il political study. With
the facts and figures at our command we
may truthfully say that in spite of being
vanquished in the latest battle of Ne
braska, republicans have made credit
able showing. Confronted from the out
set with great odds and borne down by
the force of enthusiasm aroused by Il
popular presidential candidate who ap-
pealed to local pride and emotional in
sanity, they came out with the greatest
| increase in their vote that has ever been
made in this state. While the impress
| sion has gone forth that Nebraska has
capitulated to pOpulism the fact remains
that over 100000 votes have been cast
for sound money and against national
dishonor. With the advent of Mckinley
and Il resumption of the policies that
have been championcd by their standard
| bearer republicans of Nebraska may
| confidently look forward for n return
TO power when the next battle is fought