New-York tribune., 1896-10-26
cupant OF a high and honorable ONCE. which. Of
audience.
ELECTION COMPLICATIONS.
NEW CONDITIONS THIS YEAR WHICH
MAY DELAY THE COUNT.
IN CASE OF a LANDSLIDE EITHER WAY THE RE-
SILT WILL BE KNOWN EARLY. BIT
CLOSE ELECTION MAY CAUSE IN
CERTAINTY FOR DAYS.

ClOSE ELECTION MAY CAUSE IN
CERTAINTY FOR DAYS.
Washington Oct. 2j-The Presidential cleo
tion of Tuesday. November 3, next will be
held under conditions which have never before
prevailed. and which will render the official
count 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 enact
ment prescribed some form OF secret blanket
ballot either based on the Australian plan or
closely resembling II. 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 cleo
tion machinery is in the hands Of the State
authorities. In South Carolina there is what
is called reform ballot" the avowed purpose
OF which is to restrict the votes Of illierate
negroes. In nearly all the other States blanket
ballots will be cast. and in many OF them the
count will be complicated by the fact that
State. legislative and county nominations are
printed on the same ballot with the names of
Presidential electors. Connecticut has
velope system, and New-Jersey prints each
party ticket upon a separate ballot.
Should the election be in any way close II Is.
therefore quite possible that 1t may be twenty
four hours or even forty-eght hours after the
polls close before the result is known with abb
soute certainty. In States like Nebraska. for
instance. where, according to conservative opin-
ion. there may not be a. margin Of 5000 votes
either way it will be impossible to arrive at
correct judgment until all the back counties are
heard from The polls in the cities close at
p. m. but in the country districts keep open
till D. m and with Governor. a Legislature
and county officers to elect, all on one ballot, 1t
will take at least six hours to complete the
oru1 nd M Ia
votes in Ohio may be obtained from the result of
tho counties in which Cincinnati and Cleveland
are respectively situated. and these results will
probably be known comparatively earlier. The
TEST Of the State II is anticipated. Will go pretty
much as il has done in previous PRESIDENTIAL
Years The doubtful points are Hamilton and
Cuyakoga 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 Indiana Michigan and Kansas,
where State and legislative tickets also COM
plcate the ballots. there will probably be no
keynote from which the result can be definitely
determined on Tuesday night unless the election
should prove landslide. In that case mid
night may give clear idea who are the victors
and who the vanquished. Otherwise there may
be many hours OF anxious suspense.
The last two Presidential elections have been
s,ngularlv free from uncertainty. II was
known by 10 D. m. on Election Day in lSSS that
Mr. Harrison had defeated Mr.. Cleveland. and Il
was known with equal certainty at ii p. IN. on
Election Dav in 1892 that Mr. Cleveland had de
reated Mr. Harrison But in the election OF 1854.
when Mr. Cleveland defeated Mr.. Blaine. the
official result hung In doubt over the vote or
New-York for days.
IN. fusion tickets VIII add q further element
Of difficulty in the Presidential count this year
Fusion has been arranged between the Populists
and the Democrats on the electoral TICKET III
every Democratic State but Tennessee. MISSES
siopi Georgia. Alabama, Florida ana ltNaN'
I'm seX eral OF the Southern States. while there
has been no formal fusion between the KepupiI-
cans and Populists State Legislatures ana
f'oupresslnen local arrangements nave p''h
made that amount 10 fusion and VIII nave more
or less TO do with the result
Tne following. States Will elect Governors on
November 3 Colorado. CONNECTICUT DrIaMa.e'
Idaho, Illinois. Indiana. Kansas. Massachusetts,
WichIeau Minnesota. Missouri. Montana, Ne
braska New Hampshire. New-fork N0rth 'dro
lima North Dakota, South DAKOTA ,',l t
Texas Washington West Virginia "lscoh9"'
and South Carolina ,,.,ros
The following States Will elect LeEIsal~ulrs us
California Colorado. Connecticut, Dc'aMa,"
Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa. Kansas. kehtuch'
(seyen vacancies) Michigan. Minnesota; ME
souri, Montana Nebraska. Nevada, New. Ramp
sbire New-Jersey NeW-York (paro, North .al'-
lima North Dakota. Pennsylvania. SCUM az
lima South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas. ''ah' ' ~
ginia Washington. West Virginia, WISCONSIN anu
Wyoming.