Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-11-03
THE ELECTION RETURNS.
How the Candidates Will Got the
News-Special Wires TO tho
White House.

II is safe to say that one-nalI inc
voters OF the United States will sit up
until a late hour this, Tuesday, night,
so as to learn as soon as possible
whether Mckinley or Bryan has won.
Perhaps they won't know even II they
sit up all night. Not all election re-
suits have been known within twenty
four hours after the polls closed.
When Hayes ran against Tilden, the
result was determined just in time for
the Inauguration in March. That was
the longest contest in the history OF
presidential elections.
When Blaine ran against Cleveland,
twelve years ago, the result was in
doubt for several days. Both parties
claimed the victory on the morning after
tho election. A great many people
still claim that Blaine was elected and
counted out. Just as many democrats
will always believe that Tilden was
swindled out of the presidency.
But, usually, there is some decided
indication Of the drift of sentiment in
the election returns, and unless the
contest is very close, a good hazard at
the result can be made before midnight
of election day.
At Canton, the special wire which
runs into Major McKinley's house will
be manned early Tuesday morning,
and the operator will be kept busy all
day. Major Mckinley will want to
know the state of the weather 10 places
where the contest is likely to be close.
The weather is a serious element In
elections. Republicans are reckoned
fair weather voters. and a rainy day is
considered auspicious for the democ-
racy. Besides the weather news, there
will be reports from the big cities OF
the way the voters are turning out.
There are always rumors during the
day of the way the tide is running in
this city or that, but they are not very
valuable, and the livellest interest will
be reserved for the actual figures which
come in after nightfall. Major Nc
Kinley will sit in his office, surrounded
by a few of his friends, and watch and
wait for the result.
In Lincoln, William j. Bryan will
hear the returns sitting IN the parlor oil
bis modest dwelling, with bis wife to
read the bulletins to him as the tele-
graph operator copies them. The tele-
graph companies will run a wire into
Mr.. Bryan's residence, if he likes, and
give him all the news as fast as 1t can
be learned.
Mr.. Sewall at Bath and Mr.. Watson
at his Georgia home will get the re-
turns over special wires il they choose,
and Mr.. Hobart, if he does not remain
at national headquarters in New York,
| will have a wire to his home in Pater-
sou. Both the telegraph companies
| will offer these facilities to the candi-
dates, and the two press associations
will keep them supplied with bulletins.
No one will be better supplied with
news than the president of the United
States. He will get all the bulletins OF
the telegraph companies and the press
associations over special wires and by
messenger at the white house in Wash
ington. The telegraph room at the
white house IS in the northeast corner
of the building, above the east parlor'
The president can get into communica.
ton with any part Of the United States
from this telegraph DON on a few
minutes notice. He has his own tele'
graph operator, Mr.. Montgomery. Or
election day, there will be an extrs
operator in the telegraph room, and
the bulletins will be received on two
wires. What cannot gee over the
wires will be sent to the white house
by messenger.
Those of the cabinet officers who
want them can have private wires, but
usually the cabinet people who do moi
90 home t o vote, get their news at the
white house.