The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-04
TROUBLESOME ELECTION BETS,
close Calls % Thos, who Ret on Plurnli-
ii,ts and MnJoritirs.

PHILADELPHIA Press: Though the Pres
ldentlal election Is settled beyond con-
troversy and peradventurc. Mckinley
having had the rare good fortune 10 Sc
cure Il majority In the electoral college,
a majority Of the states. and majority
OF the popular vote. the gentlemen who
bet on the election have some difficulty
In determining who should have the
stakes. At least we infer 30 from the
large number OF letters received here
and apparently At other newspaper
oilicSs. asking FOR decision on the dis
putcs which have arisen as to the proper
disposition OF the stakes.
The terms plurality and majority
give a good deal of trouble In some local
it!eS. This IS not 10 bC wondered ut.
since the word majority Is often used
where plurality Is meant. and we have
seen newspaper decisions to the effect
THAI; bot that candidate would win
By a certain majority Is gained X the
candidate has Il plurality OF that NUM-
tyr of votes. \ plurality OF votes In
elections Is the excess which the high
est candidate has over the next hiEhCS ST.
\ majority Is the excess which the high
est candidate has over all the other cam
,!ldates combined Major McKlnlcys
apparent popular plurality over BrySn.
with few states st!ll to hear from. OIL
clally "a Ig6.4iS. His apparent popular
majority over the votes OF all the other
presidential candidates combined Is
SO AS He carried tWenty-threc Of the
f1rty-ilve states and his majority In ;hc
electoral college is niEety-Scven.
Those who bet that Mckinley would
have 100000 majority or plurality in
Pennsylvania have lost their bet. Nc
Hinlcy's plurality In this state Is 2a5.-
010. Ills majority over all is 62.2iS
The tables OF the election returns In
Pennsylvania give Mckinley and H0-
bart $500; Bryan md Sewall. ~. l2i;
Bryan and Watson. G.l0S. This makes
Mckinley and il0bart'S plurality over
Bryan ana Sewall 50l,lT3 But Bryan Is
entitled 10 hav. the Bryan and Watson
vote placed 20 his credit. Til. electors
on the Bryan and Watson ticket are cX-
aClly the same AS those on the Bryan
and Sewall ticket. Though they occu-
ply separate columns on the ballot the
distinction was intended only 10 catch
Popul.St votes FOR Bryan and does not
operate in the counting. since scattered
votes Tor the same electors must be
punched together. and If they are Bryan
'lF'NblF AilEll Aii'Al NOAF SI'Iulu W lllANNA
10 Bgyans credit.
In Ohio the same condition obtained
rs In Pennsylvania. The Mckinley and
Hobart ticket has II plurality OF 5l.l09
over the Bryan and Scwali ticket. But
III" Bryan and Watson ticket polled
2,6l5. and as II had, as We understand.
exactly the same electors az the Bryan
and Srwall ticket. they will be added to-
Irat her 10 determine. the t1tal yOt. OF the
Bryan electors. reducing Mckinlcy's
plurality over Bryan In Ohio to 1894.
Mckinley carried Kentucky by II small
plurality-@5S Although blunders in
marking the ballots did SECURE Bryan
one OF I'll. thirteen electors. the state
must be credited 10 Mckinley. since he
has plurality by comparing either the
vote for the highest; electors or the aver
age vote for all the electors on both
tickets.
Election betting Is contrary TO good
morals ".nd IL operates to disfranchisc
the b-ttors IN some states. Nevrrthc-
less. 20 far as such bets beget n thirst
for accurate Information and close def
nItiOns. they may nat be without GER
tain educational value. Therefore, those
betting citizens who have cndcav0rcd 10
Stake their thirst at the Press fountain
n knowledge will :Rd the answer to
:h"ir question or questions IN some part
u this nr;ICie.