The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-03-12

The final count by Congress of the cleo
toral vote, coupled with the various
charges which have been made by differ
ent people of excessive votes in certain OF
the Northern States and suppression OF
the Republican votes in the South' sus-
gest a careful study of the figures OF the
election in the light of those of other eiec-
tions and records of population as well as
votes. x . <. ~"
Gov. Altgeld and Senator Allen have
charged fraudulent excess of votes IN
nearly all of the close States which were
carried by the Republicans in the late
campaign. including Ohio, Indiana. Mlchl-
gan. Illinois, Kentucky. Iowa. Wiscon-
sin. Minnesota. Oregon. California, West
Virginia, Maryland and even Pennsyfva-
mia. Senator Allen published as an official
document paper containing charge OF
this character and also introduced reso-
luton calling for an investigation, but
has not up TO this time made any move in
the way of even asking consideration for
his resolution.
Fortunately, it is possible by examining
the figures of the census of 1890 to get
pretty fair idea as to whether the alleged
vote in any State was actually in excess
of the number Of voters in the State. The
census of 1890 shows the number of males
above the age of twenty-one in each State
and-it is reasonable to. assume that there
has been a very material increase in the
number, of males. of voting age in all parts
of the country, and especially in the Mis-
sissippi valley, in the six years between
the date. of the census and the election of
1896. This makes it comparatively easy
to examine in an intelligent way the
chs of hu Sonafnr l.
len and Gov. Altgeld. ,r
Let us examine few of these charges.
In Ohio Mr.. Allen charges that the
fraudulent excess" of votes in 1896 was
94,5OO. Let US see Ohio, according to
his figures gave 1,O11, $40 votes. There
were in Ohio in $780, according to the
census, 1,O16, 464 males of voting age, or
more than 5000 in excess of the number
of votes cast in 1896. Ohio increased her
population 14.S3 per cent in the decade
from 1880 to 1890, and it is reasonable to
assume that, with ,the great prosperity
which shas attended her development of
manufactures in the natural gas region
IN the past few years, the increase of
population from 1890 to 1896 has been, at
a very low estimate, ten per cent, which
would bring the male population of 21
years and upwards, up to 1,117,O0O, or
100000 in excess of the number of votes
cast, yet Mr.. Allen charges officially, but
admits that he does not know by what
process he arrives at the conclusion, that
S4,50O fraudulent excess" of votes was
cast in that State.
In Indiana and Illinois the total num-
Der of votes cast in 1896 slightly exceeds
the total number of males above p years
of age shown by the census of 1890 in
those States. In Illinois the excess of
votes in 1896 above those of voting age
in 1880 in that State is less than 10000
Illinois gained in population in the decade
from 1880 to 1890 24.32 per cent. In.view
of the great number of people drawn to
Chicago during the Worlds Fair period,
many of whom remained there, it is rea-
sonable to suppose that the rate of gain
since 1890 has been quite as rapid and
that the increase of population and in the
number of persons of voting age is fully
16 per cent. This would bring the number
OF males of voting age in the State up to
1,243,OOO, or $4,000 in excess of the num-
Der OF votes actually cast. In Indiana
the increase of population has been much
more rapid probably than in Illinois, be-
cause of the wonderful development of
the natural gas region of that State, where
industries have been extremely active and
prosperous, even while there was depres-
sion and absolute inactivity in nearly all
other parts of the country. The total
male population of Indiana above p years
of age in 1890 was 595,066, but with the
phenomenal growth of population which
1t has had since that time, it has probably
increased 1900, so that there is every
reason to believe that the total number of
voters in the State was, in 1896, nearly
or 0IIifa 700 000 uhila tho total ,,,,obon
of votes cast was only 637 ,2S4.
The Voters Did Not All Vote,
1t is unnecessary to pursue in detail the
investigation of the relation of the votes
cast to the voting population in all the
States charged with fraudulent excess,
of votes in Senator Aliens official paper.
The following table gives the number of
males of voting age in each of the States
in question in 1890 and beside it the num-
ber of votes cast in 1896. When it is re-
membered that the natural growth of pop
ulation in these States in the six wears
since the census of 1890 is from 10 to Is
per cent it will be seen that in no case
was the vote actually cast in 1896 nearly
as large as the number of males over the
age of q years which must have been in
these States on Nov 3, 1896.
Table showing the number of males of
voting age in 1890 and the number Of
votes cast in 1896:
Males above
]. -: 21 years of Votes cast
age in 1890. in 1896.
Pennsylvania i, ,461 1863 l,1SS :354
Maryland ...... 27O,73S 240,S66
Ohio ,464 1,O11,576
Michigan ...... 617,455 544,27S
Indiana ........ 595,O66 637,2S4