The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-10-26
WHEN IT WILL BE KNOWN
RESULT OF ELECTION MAY NOT Br ASSURED UNITE Nov. $.

~fSo ChALO ONIIL NOE, Q,
 The Complicated Method of Voting Will
 Delay the Count-If the Trend is All One
 Way Result May be Known Late Tuesday
 Evening-straws Which May Show the
 Verdict in Doubtful States.
 Washington, Oct. 25.-The presidential election of Tuesday, November 8, 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 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 Aus traltan plan or resembling 1t. The only exceptions are Georgia, Louisiana, 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 Caro- lima there is what is called reform ballot" the avowed purpose of which is to restrict the votes of illiterate negroes Tn nearly all the other states blanket ballots will be cast and in many of them the count will be compli- cated by the fact that state, legislative and county nominations are printed on the same ballot with the names of pres idential electors.
 Connecticut has an envelope system and New Jersey prints each party ticket on a separate sheet. Should the elec- tion be in any way close 1t is, therefore, quite possible that 1t may be twenty four hours or even forty eight hours after the polls close before the result is known with absolute certainty
 In states like Nebraska, for Instance. where, according to conservative opin- ion, there may not be a margin of five thousand votes either way, it will be impossible to arrive at correct judg- ment until all the back counties are heard from. The polls. in the cities close at p. n1., but in the country dis tricts keep open till D. m., and with a. governor, a legislature and county officers to elect all on one ballot 1t will take at least six hours to complete the count
 Some idea of the general trend of the votes in Ohio can be obtained from the result of the counties in which Cincin- natl and Cleveland are respectively sit uated and these results will probably be known comparatively early. The rest of the state, it is anticipated, 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 out come when the vote of Cook county Is recorded But in other doubtful states, like Indiana, Michigan, and Kansas, where state and legislative tickets also complicate the ballots, there will prob- ably be no keynote from which the re- suit can be definitely determined on Tuesday night unless the election should prove a. landslide. In that case midnight may give clear idea of who are the victors and who the van quished. Otherwise there may be many hours of anxious suspense.
 The last two presidential elections have been free from uncertainty 1t was known by 10 p. m. on election day in 1888 that Mr. Harrison had defeated MT. Cleveland and it was known with equal certainty at ii p. m. on election day in 1892 that MT. Cleveland was elected.
 The fusion tickets will add elements of difficulty in the presidential count this year. Fusion has been arranged between the populists and democrats on electoral tickets in every democratic state but Tennessee, Mississippi, Geor- gia, Alabama, Florida and Texas. In several of the southern states while there has been no actual fusion between the republicans and populists on state legislatures and congressman local ar- engagements have been made that amount to fusion and will have mora or less to do with the result.
 The following states will elect gover- nors on November 3:
 Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Mas sachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mis- souri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Caro- lima, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and South Caro- lima.
 The following state will elect legisa- lures:
 California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Hr ka, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jer- sey, New York (part), North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyom- ing.