The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-24
M'KINLEY'S MAJORITY WOULD
BE 10000
If BALLOTS WERE COUNTED.
DISTRICT THAN THE RETURNS
REPRESENT.
WHAT CAUSED THE DISCREPANCY.
Gen. Pope to Decide Whether or
Not ClOugh's Election VIII BE
COntested-POIiticaI.

"a careful recount Of the votes cast
In this state at the recent election,
would show a majority of less than
10000 for Mckinley" said an observing
politician yesterday. THE mysteries
Of the Australian ballot, and the zeal
Of Democratic voters to put an X op-
posite the name of every candidate
bearing a Democratic title was the
cause Of thousands Of votes for Bryan
and Palmer electors being thrown out.
My assertion is borne out by an analy-
sis Of the vote.
THE total vote for C1ough and Lind
was 1000 less than the total vote for
Mckinley and Bryan. Four years ago
the vote for governor was $4,000 less
than the vote for president. You will
notice also, that in every county, the
vote for governor was less than the
vote for congressman. Another thing:
The vote for president is returned on
the highest vote cast for electors. The
vote for congressman was larger than
the average vote for electors
There's but one way to account for
borne out my belief that votes for
thousands of Democratic electors were
thrown out because there were too
many Of the candidates voted for I
know of one instance where forty cleo
toral votes were lost to the Democrats
because the voters had put a mark
opposite the names of both Palmer and
Bryan electors. In another precinct,
sixty Democratic voters, in their excess
of zeal, had put KS opposite the names
Of Democratic electors, and National
Democratic electors. AS I say, in one
district alone. where I have closely
analyzed the vote, l am certain there
were nearly 1900 Democratic votes for
president that are not represented in
the returns. If the same ratio of de-
fective ballots should be found in other
congressional districts, McKinley's ma
jority would fall below 10000.
Such a recount would show a. dis
tlnct gain for the candidate of the
National Democracy. The total would
be far in excess of the one per cent Of
the entire vote of the state, required by
law, and the party would be entitled
to place on the ballot two years or
four years hence without resort to
petition. | think the Palmer electors
would gain quite as many votes as the
Bryan electors, by such recount as the
mistakes were made by voters who
were anxious to preserve the party,
and thus marked the names Of all can
didates in the Democratic sections of
the ballot. [ know of some instances
where Democratic voters were design
edly confused, and were urged to vote
for Bryan and Palmer, the object be-
ing to defeat the Democratic electors.
IAN investigation would probably
show that many ballots were entirely
thrown out because invalidated as to
electors. 1t would probably be found
that the gubernatOrial vote was some
thousands larger, though not materi-
ally changing the result. It would
result in establishing the fact that
quite as many persons voted for COVER
nor as for gressmen-something the
present figures do not show. If Lind
should contest ClOugh's election, all
these interesting facts would be dis
closed, and particularly would the re-
count show that the vote for Palmer
was much greater than now appears. "
Lind and his friends will contest Gov.
Clough's election. On the other hand.
1t is not improbable that contest will
be made and that quickly. Evidence
of irregularities in some Of the voting
precincts, in st. Paul as we'll as in the
country, has been received, and this
evidence has been placed in the hands
Of Gen. Pope, secretary Of the Demo-
! cratic state central committee for an
opinion. If he decides that g. contest
can be made on this evidence, the
money necessary for the work will be
forthcoming. There are men in the
party who believe it a matter of duty
to the state to take up the work, if it
can be demonstrated that Gov. Clough
was not fairly counted into the Office.
1t is said that in one precinct In St,
Paul the Judges of election were
drunk, and made no effort to count
the votes. In this precinct. as in
! agreed before the polls were closed to
make return showing a certain ma
! Jority for the Republican ticket all the
way through; in another precinct, it Is
claimed, the Judges were told what
majority for Clough was expected from
that precinct and the figures needed
were forthcoming with marvellous
rapidity. 1t is claimed that an investi-
| cation will show that in hundreds of
precincts in the state the Republican
| judges Of election were notified before
! the polls closed just what their returns
should show and that in some in
! stances the returns were afterWard
! changed to make up for deficiencies
arising in other and unexpected quar-
| tefs.
The expense Of a contest will be
! something enormous. Just where SO
much money can be found for the
| prosecution Of the work the leaders of
! the party do not state. There are z. 100
! voting precincts in the state, and it is
estimated that 1t will require the SER
vices Of three men for at least three
days to go over the returns from each
precinct. The services of a good law
yer for a period of four to six months
will be necessary; the expense of main
tanning a central headquarters. to-
gether with a limited clerical force, will
be necessary; the telegraph tolls and
other incidentals will foot up a huge
total; in all it is supposed, by placing
the expense at the lowest possible
figure, that from $4,000 to $4,000 will
| be needed.
The future of the sound money
Democracy in Minnesota is pretty well
assured. That the party will be kept
| alive there need be no doubt. Per
manent headquarters have been Sc
cured in the New York Life building,
and there will be work for several
clerks during the months that are to
come. Camden H. West, assistant
secretary Of the state committee, is in
charge and will attend to the routine
of the Office Mr.. Cutcheon, who is re-
garded as the leader of the party. in
the state, says the members of the par
ty will never consent to be absorbed
| into the Republican party so long as
that party holds to the paternalistic
policies that il has heretofore advo-
Gated. Therefore, it is impossible that
the sound money Democrats should be
| recognized in any way, by way of ap-
pointive offices or otherwise, by the