The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-11-06
A DAY OF ANXIETY.
Counter Claims by Republicans
and Democrats.
The Majority in the Legislsture-fhe
Choice of a United States Senator to sue
ceed Hanna-Republican Chances
Improve as the Day Advances.

COLUMBUS, O.. Nov. 4.-Yesterday
was q day of anxiety with the Ohio
politicians. 1t opened with the repuo-
licans and democrats both claiming
the election of their state tickets and a.
majority of the members of the legls-
lature. Before noon the democrats
conceded the election of the republi-
can state ticket by larger pluralities
than were given Tuesday night in the
earliest of these dispatches as the
claims IF the republicans
Last night the democratic state COM
mittec announced no definite claims on
the legislature and the republican
state committee raised its claim tos
majority of five on joint ballot, as fol-
lows: Senate, II republicans, 10 dem
ocrats; house, IS republicans, 81 demo
Gratis. Total, IS republicans, 20 demo-
Gratis.
Wood county had been conceded to.
the democrats until last night he
the complete returns caused the re-
publicanS to claim it.
On the returns, complete, at repub-
lican state headquarters, the demo-
Gratis will have a majority of two in
the senate and the republicans of
seven in the house. In these claims
the f~usionists from Cincinnati are all
counted as democrats.
The republicans a organize the
house without fusion. There is only
one of the four senators, elected on the
fusion ticket in Cincinnati, who is q
republican, and he now becomes n fac
tor. If Senator Voight, of Cincinnati,
who is n republican elected on the flu
sion ticket, should vote with the re-
publicans on the organization of the
senate, or on anything else, thai body
will be a tie with Lieut.. Gov. Jones
(rep.) having the deciding vote.
If the democrats had secured a ma
jOrity of the legislature, or the fusion
lists held the balance of power, it is
said that the f~usionists would have
voted with the democrats.
The republicans now expect two or
more of the fusion republicans to vote
with them for senator, in which event
they claim a majority of sever on joint
ballot, with ~ republicans and IS dem
ocrats.
None of the fusion votes for senator
were counted on by the republican
managers in the event they would be
needed by the democrats to elect their
nominee, but now many speculations
are made about the fusion votes.
When it was thought yesterday that
control of the legislature might de-
pend upon one vote, there was appre-
hension of trouble in some counties.
Emissaries were sent out from state
headquarters to close counties to watch
the counting. The Ohio law provides
that Not less than one nor more than
five days from the day of election dep
uty state supervisors in each county
shall begin the official canvass of the
vote and continue fromday to day un-
til completed"
In the event of p~rotracted contests in
the close counties, the suspense might
tave continued until the legislature
met next January. Since the change
of claims at the democratic state head
quarters last night on the complexion
of the legislature. two important ru-
mOrs have been vigorously circulated.
One is that John r. Mclean will be
pressed by the Ohio democracy for the
democratic nomination for president IN
1900 and that Senator Hanna will have
opposition in his own party for
election to the senate 1t is
claimed by those advocating Mclean
for the presidential nomination hat
he deserves credit for the reduction of
the republican plurality TO less than
half of what it was last year aud of
the republican majority in the legis-
lature from so on joint ballot to five.
And the democrats claim that the ma
iority on joint ballot would be five the
other way if they had an equal chance
on contests. There are IS members of
tie state senate, and only one or two
of those districts that are so close or
doubtful as to admit of contests on
which republican senators could be
unseated.
On the other hand there are 100 MEM
bers of the house, in which the repub-
licans claim a majority of seven, while
the democrats nav" u majority of two
in the senate. There are several coun-
ties so close on the vote for represents
tives that several seats could be
changed in that body. In the settle
ment of contested seats the republic
cars would have such an advantage in
the house over the democrats in the
senate that it is not likely that the
latter will be aggressors in the mat
ter. And this may allow the close
margin Of the republicans on joint bai-
lot for senator to go uncontcsted in
any of the close counties or before he
committees on elections in the general
assembly.
There is another alleged movement
which is causing much more comment,
and that is the rumor that Gov. Bush
mel will lee brought out for senator
against Marcus A. Hanna
Gov. Bushnell and all others involved
in this movement deny any knowledge
OF it or that they would have anything
TO do with it.
Secretary Sherman Satisfied.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 4-Secretarv
Sherman arrived in Washington early