The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-03
SOME THINGS THE ELECTION
FIGURES TEACH.

A study OF the eieCltoA nSuaC9 Va AAASAA~S
much interesting information.
/. The great increase in the vote IS the
most important fact that is disclosed,
the vote for Governor reaching 329,2OO,
while the vote for President reached
32a no. The Significance of this vote is
seen when we state that the total vote in
the preceding elections since and inciud-
ing 1872, were as follows; 1872, 1880;
1875. 233, $40; 1880, 241 ,218; 1882, 223,-
oS3; 1884, 26S, 474; 1886, 211, 5o7; 1888,
2S5. Ats; 1890, 242,903; 1892, $50, 664,
| 1894. 275937. This large increase IN the
vote is accounted for by the Republicans
on the ground that this year the negro
vote was east in full, and that hereto
fore it has been partially suppressed.
The Democrats and Populists account for
it by saying that the issue presented In
the national conventions of both parties
stirred up the people Of all parties and
races as never before, and that the great
interest in the election brought out the
full vote tits certain that the negro vote
was brought out not only from the era
die to the grave, but large portion from
South Carolina and Virginia as well.
1t is the opinion of fair-minded men who
have given a study to the election figures
from the larger towns, that at least TO-
600 unqualified negroes were permitted to
vote. In the large towns there were no
PopuIist poll holders, and the Republican
clerks invariably appointed Republican
poll holders, where the Populist chairman
had not already done so, and the election
boards stood two Republicans to one Dem
oerat
2 The next most valuable piece Of in
formation is that neither party has a
majority of the voters in North Carolina
For years it has been a common claim
put forth by the Republicans that with
fair election law they ecould carry the
State easily. They fully expected that
Mckinley would carry the State over the
united vote of the Democrats and Popu-
lists for Bryan. They expended some
thing like sS100, 900 and got 10000 import
ed eonviets and boy voters on the registra-
ton books In addition to this they got
the vote OF about / 100 gold Democrats
and their moral support, which was worth
to them five times as much as the votes
they cast. And yet, by the official vote,
Bryan carried the State by majority of
Is, 266, receiving 174,48S votes to Nc
Kinley's 155.222. while RusselPs major
ity was $3.50, Russells vote being 154,
O52, Watson's 1925, and Guthrie 3d.
932. If there had been any honest method
of purging the books in the cities and large
towns, the majority would have been
nearer 10000, that is to say that McKin-
ley and Russell each would have received
in the neighborhood of 10000 less votes
than were cast for them. Never again
win We hear the old Islander 'the Republi-
cans have carried the State half a dozen
tmies, but were counted ont of it." Bry-
ans majority Of nearly 10000 is one of
the largest majorites against Il Republi-
can candidate in North Carolina since
1872, when the Republican majority for
Grant was 24501. In 1876 the Demo
cratic majority was 17,00S; in 1880 it
was 1926; in 1882, 443; in 1884, IL ,8S4;
1886, %, $40; 1888, 1918; 1890, 1920;
1892, $4,000. In 1894 the Rep.-Pop. fu-
sion majority was 20,751.
3. The Democrats have an actual ma
jority over both parties of the voters
in the following counties, figuring from
Watson's vote: Alexander, Allegheny.
Burke, Caldwell, Carteret, Clay, Cleye-
land, Currituck, Castor, Graham, Hay
wood, Iredell, Johnston, Macon, Mellow
ell, Mecklenburg, Onslow, Person, Rowan,
StanIy, Swain, Wayne and Yancey-a to-
tai of %. The Republicans had ma
jority over all voters in the following
counties, figuring from Russells vote
Ashe, BERTHE, Buncombe, Camden, Gas
well, Cherokee, Chowan, Craven, Dare.
Davidson, Dayie, Edgecombe, Forsyth,
Halifax, Henderson, HEREFORD, Madison,
! Mitchell, Montgomery, New Hanover,
Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquim-
ans, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Stokes,
Surry, Pennsylvania, Tyrrell, Vance,
Warren, Washington, Watauga, Wilkes
and Yadkin--a total of So, seventeen be-
ing negro counties. In the other SO coun-
ties neither party has an absolute ma
jority, the Democrats having more votes
than the Republicans in Arson, Bladen.
Cabarrus, Catawba, Chatham, Columbus
Duplin, Durham, Franklin, Gates, Gull
ford, Harnett, Hyde, Lenoir, Lincoln.
Martin, Nash, Orange, Pitt Rockingham,
Rutherford, Sampson, Union and Wilson,
and the Republicans more than the Demo
Gratis in Alamance, Beaufort, Brunswick,
Cumberland, Granville, Greene, Jones,
Moore, Pamlico, Fender, Robson and
Wake. Only in Sampson county did
Guthrie receive a larger vote than either
Watson or Russell
a. II there had been no fusion, and the
Republicans had not been helped by Pop
ulist votes, the Republicans would have
had only the following representation in
the Senate: two from the First district;
one each from the Third, Fourth and
Fifth, Tenth and Twelfth; two each from
the twenty-sixth, Twenty and
Thirty third; one from the Twenty-eighth
FOL ~ fbe