Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-02-05
Some Interesting Figures
From the Presidential Election---States
which Gained and states which show
Failing on

From the Presidential EIection---States
which Gained and states which show
Failing OF.
In 1892 the total vote for president in all
the states Of the Union, then A., was r.
l54, j42, and the totals of the two elections
compare as follows:
Total vote 1876, - 923, Gi3
Total vote, ls9A II l4 Bag
Increase. l76qlOl
This is gain of more than 10 per cent
in the voting population of the United
States in four years, and if there were no
special reasons 20 explain the disparity of
the increase in the several states where
there is an increase, a study of the figures
in each would be interesting. The fact
however, is that there has been no uniform
and evenly distributed gain in the voting
population of the United States since 1892,
but abnormal and spasmodic increase in
some states and an actual falling off in the
vote in some others. In South Carolina,
for instance, the total vote for president in
1892 was I0444; in 1896, under the
amended state constitution, it was only
GS,9OI. In North Carolina, on the other
hand, the vo'e of $4,000 in 1892 was in
creased to $4,000 in 1896 This remark
obll lNl - lhNiNaSC " as uut CDltl1 " lllt
amendment TO the voting laws folio wing
the defeat of the Democratic candidates in
the state election of 1894.
The very largest increase in any state
was in Colorado, or from 81 900 in 1892 to
1890 in 1896. This remarkable increase
was not due to any marked growth in the
number of inhabitants, but to woman suf
frsge, women voting the same as men and
under no different or more serious restric-
tons. In Wyoming, however, where
woman suffrage is no new thing, the total
vote of the state, which was 10, IT'S in 1892,
increased only to 20, $50 in 1896
A comparison of the figures in the sew
eral New England states at the recent cleo
ton and at the election of four years ago
shows anew the singularly steady charac-
ter of their voting population even under
pressure OF great interest and excitement
OF last years campaign. In Massachusetts,
the total vote increased from 39l 900 in
1892 to 40l 900 in 1896, gain of 10000
only. In Maine it increased from 1l6, 900
in 1892 to ll8,000 in 1896, gain of 200O
only. In New Hampshire there was fall
ing off of 5000, or from $4,000 to SO, 600.
In Vermont the gain was 5000, following
an exciting state election in September,
and in Connecticut the increase was TO-
900, or from $4,000 to 174,000
Both New York and PENNSYLVANIA cast
over a million votes in 1892. The gain in
New York in 1896 was only $1,000 votes,
but in pennsylvania it was 10000. Ohio,
with about 1,009, 900, and Illinois, with
about l,O90, 600, also crossed the million
mark in 1896. The total vote of New
York in 1896 was nearly as large as that of
the whole United States in 1886, and the
tr.,tr, ,F . l.. I.
than doubled within % years. 1t was
100000 in 1872 aud 100000 at the re-
cent election.
The slight increase Of the voting popu-
lation of the new Northwestern states is
noticeable. When they were admitted it
was said that they would socn qualify
themselves for veriLable statehood by a
large growth of population. The condi-
lions of the recent election were certainly
favorable to the casting of very large
vote in states where silver mining is an i'm
portant element of business, yet the gain in
the voting population was small. The
vote in Montana increased from 1000 in
1892 to $1,000 in 1896, a gain of 20 per
cent The vote of Erie county, New York,
was 1000 last November, or so per cent
more than that of Montana. In Idaho,
another of the newly admitted states, the
vote was only $4,000, or only about as
many as Major Mckinley poled in Onon-
dago county, New York. In South Da-
kota the increase from 1892 to 1896 was
merely from 10000 to $1,000; in North
Dakota $4,000 TO 47,00O and in Nevada,
where the silver question was supposed TO
overshadow all other matters, the total
vote in 1896 was actually less than in 1892,
the falling off being from 10,S7S to 1895.
The explanation is that the population Of
Nevada is decreasing. In Utah $4,000
votes were cast last November; woman
suffrage there accounts for so large a total.
One remarkable thing about the returns
of the recent election is the great growth
in the voting population of what were
known as the "border" states. In Ken
lucky the total vote increased from $40
900 in 1892 to AS, 900 in 1896 The ex-
PLANTATION that this gain of over 100. 900 in
four years was due to the uncertainty of
the contest there does not suffice, because
in Missouri, where from the beginning the
result was an almost foregone conclusion,
there was larger increase, or from $40, 900
in 1892 to ga, 900 in 1896 In MARYLAND,
too, where there is no large growth of pop
ulation, the increasr from 1892 TO 1896 was
nearly 10000 in a total of 100000; and in
West Virginia the increase was nearly 80
900 in total of 10000.