The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-11-04
This Years Vote;
New Conditions.
In Case of a Landslide Either
Way the Result on Tues
day Will Be Known
Early.

next will be held under conditions
which have never before prevailed, and
which will render the ofisial count a
matter Of difficulty aud uousual delay
Since the last presidential contest al
moas every state which had not then
adopted the Australia ballot system
has by state enactment prescribed some
form Of secret blanket ballot, either
based on the Australian plan or closely
resembling it. The only exceptions are
Georgia. Louisiana, North Carolina aud
South Carolina In the fret three states
named the old open ballot prevails 10
South Carolina there is what is called
'reform ballot" the avowed purpose Of
which is to restrict the votes Of iliterase
negroes lo nearly all the other states
blanket ballots viii be cast, and 10
many of them the count will be com
plicated by the fact that state, legisla
tive aud county nominations are printed
on the same ballot With the names Of
presidential electors. Connecticut has
an envelope system, and New jersey
prints each party ticket upon a separate
ballot.
In states ike Nebraska. for instance,
where. according TO conservative opin-
ion. there may not be g margio of 5000
votes either way. it may be impossible
to arrive at correct judgment uusil
all the back counties are heard from.
The polls in the cities close at 4 P. u I,
but 10 the country districts keep open
till 6 .. m., aud with q governor. a
legislature apd 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 votes 10
Ohio may be obtained from the result Of
the counties in ~'vh;oh Cincinnati aud
Cleveland are respectively situated, and
these results will probably be known COM
paratively earlier. The doubtful points
are Hamilton and Cuysaoea counties.
Chicago will control Illinois. There
will be no doubt of the outcome when
the vote Of Cook county is recorded.
But in other doubtful states. like To-
diana, Michigan and Kansas. where
state and legislative tickets also com
plicate the ballots, there will probably
be no keynote, from which the result
can be definitely determined until Tues
day night unless it should prove land
slide. 10 that case midday may give a
clear idea who are the victors aud who
the vauquished Otherwise there may be
many bours of anxious suspense.
The last presidential elections have
been siugularly free from uncertainty.
Il was known by II p m. on election
day In 1883 that Mr. Harrison had de-
feated Mr.. Cleveland, and it was known
with equal certainty at IL p. N. op
election day in 1892 that Mr.. Cleve-
land had defeated Mr.. Harrison But
in the election Of 1884. when Mr..
Cleveland defeated Mr.. Blaine, the Off
cial result hung 10 doubt over the vote
Of New York for days
: The fusion tickets will add further
element Of difficulty in the presidential
count this year. Fusion has been ar
ragged between the Populists and the
Democratic on the electoral ticket 10
every Democratic state but Tennessee.
Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Florida
aud Texas In several Of the southern
states, while there has been no formal
fusion between the Republicans aud
Populists on state legislatures and con-
gressmen,. local arrangements have
been made that amount to fusion and
will have more or less to do with The
result.
The following states will elect COVER
nors on Nov. 8: Colorado, Connecticut,
Delaware, Idaho. Illinois, Indiana,
Kansas, Massachusetts (sevep vaean-
cies), Michigan, Minnesota. Missouri.
Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire,
New York. North Carolina. North
Dakota. South Dakota. Tennessee.
Texas, Washington, West Virginia,
Wisconsin and South Carolina
The following states will elect legis-
latures: California. Colorado, Con-
necticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois. In-
diana. Iowa. Kansas, Kentucky (seven
vacancies). Michigan. Minnesota. Mis-.
souri,. Montana, Nebraska, Nevada,
New Hampshire. New Jersey. New
York (part). North Carolina, North
Dakota, Pennsylvania. South Carolina,
South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vir.
ginia. Washington, West Virginia.
Wisconsin and Wyoming.