New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-06
PRICE THREE CENTS.
OHIO'S CLOSE LEGISLATURE.
REPUBLICANS HAVE A MARROW BUT
SURE MAJORITY.
THEY HAVE CONSTITUTIONAL SURPLUS OF osH
AND A MAJORITY OF FIvE-wArCHING THE
COUNT IN WOOD COUNTY.

ANp MATURITY OF FINE-WATCHlNG The
COUNT IN WOOD COUNTY.
Columbus. Ohio Nov 5.-The Ohio Legisiat.
ure stands "A Republicans 20 Democrats and
l doubtful in the official returns received up
to tonight. With dozen more OF the eighty
eight counties very close. there have been no
material changes except In Wood County, which
will be claimed by both parties until the courts
pass on the action Of the Supervisors. There
has been no unusual proceedings before the re-
turning boards OF any OF the counties except
that Of Wood. although both parties have had
their representatives and attorneys in the county
seats wherever the vote was close.
Chairman McConville OF the Democratic State
Committee has not changed his claims OF Dem.
ocrattc majority Joint ballot and will do
so until the ocial returns all in and show
the final results 10 differ from those ne has at
hand. He and others OF the Democratic State
headquarters went to Cincinnati tonight to con.
fer with Mr. Mclean and other party leaders
regarding the contests that are to be made In
the close counties.
Chairman Nash insists tonight that the Legis-
lature stands 15 Republicans to 10 Democrats.
and that the majority on joint ballot for Sena-
tor will not be less than five. He says he Is
tonight satisfied with the situation in Wood
County. What he feared was that the official
count might wipe out the small Republican
plurality In that county. Since the face OF the
official tally sheets shows plurality OF 81 for
the Republican Representative, Judge Nash Is
ready to have any court pass on the case. He
says the law provides that the members Of the
board Of election cannot go behind the returns
and the Supreme Court has held that they have
no ministerial powers whatever. cannot hear
evidence use their discretion In throwing out
any votes. That Is left to the courts and to
each branch of the Legislature In passing on
the credentials OF It's members. In Wood County
to-day Norris. the Republican candidate for
Representative filed protest against the board
counting the vote OF Freedom Township. because
the ballots should be tailed in blocks OF five.
This precinct gave Norris 151 and Mearscmfw
Democratic candidate. 263 II the vote OF the
township had been thrown out 1t would have
Increased the plurality Of Norris by 112, but
1t was counted. The Republicans insist that
| Norris will be declared elected in Wood County.
and that the Legislature stands 10 to 10.
THE COUNT IN WOOD COUNTY
| Information was received at the State head.
| quarters Of both parties this afternoon that tho
| Republicans claimed the election Of their Repre-
sentatives in Wood County by % and the Demo-
Gratis claimed their Representative had plural
| ity OF H. When the Board Of Elections took It's
noon recess at Bowling Green the two Demo-
| cratic members refused to sgr the official can
vass Of the vote Of Wood County unless the vote
OF one precinct in Centre Township was thrown
out The vote Of this precinct makes differ.
ence Of ~ votes the Wood County Repre-
sentative. II 1t is counted. the Republican Rep
resentative will have a plurality Of %. and II II
| is thrown out the Democratic Representative
will have a plurality OF IA. The county seat
! Bowling Green) is in Centre Township
The precinct in dispute includes that por-
ton of the township outside the corporate lin
| its OF Bowling Green. tut for the conven-
| ience OF voters the polls were located In Bowling
| Green Just across the precinct boundary The
| voting place is in the proper township, but not
within the precinct. and II has been In the same
place five years without the legality OF the To-
| cation ever being questioned before AS II IL
! believed the deadlock of two to two VIII con-
tinue in the Board of Elections, Congressman
| Burton of Cleveland, and other attorneys for
the Republicans have prepared their mandamus
case and will go before the Circuit Court rOr
an order 10 compel the Wood County Board OF
Elections to sign the tally sheets as they have
been made out on the face OF the returns. Inc
Republican counsel hold that no county boards
of election have any power TO go behind the
returns and that the face Of the returns give
their repres entative a plurality OF ~. In
the event of the court not granting the order
il seems probable that the Republican members
from Wood County would be sworn in, as the
Republicans have a majority of six in the House
without Wood County.
The official returns from Delaware County
give the Republican Representative plurality
Of 80 cad of 20 as claimed last night.
Charles Kurtz. who was chairman OF the Re-
publican State Committee in 1896 and lS9o says
that there is nothing whatever in the talk about
certain Republican members OF the Legislature
combining with the Democrats TO elect Governor
Bushnell or any other man Senator In place OK
Senator Hanna who was indorsed by the last
Republican State Convention for both the short
and the full term for Senator MIR. kurtz says
no Republican member could afford 10 bolt the
caucus noniea ton, and he does not believe that
a single Republican member could be found VINO
would go into such combination. AS Char-
man Kurtz was defeated for reelection as chair
man by Senator Hanna. and admits that ne IS
unfrendly 20 the Senator himself, TINS statement
is believed to be he last that VIII be heard OF
the combination against Mr hanna as the he-
publican Senatorial nominee. AT Republican
State headquarters the reports have never re-
ceived any credence
NARROW MARGIN FOR MR.. HANNA.
II requires 73 votes. or majority Of all the
145 members. TO elect a Senator on Joint ballot.
With only seventy-four Republicans in the Leg
islature the death Of a Republican member or
a Republican vacancy from any cause would
leave a bare majority, and II Wood County
should elect a Democratic Representative there
woudl no doubt. be startling developments at
once in at least two other counties. The pro-
posed legal proceedings are believed 10 be In
statu ouo awaiting the completion Of the official
canvass Of the vote In Wood County.
There are ten counties In the State that give
a plurality OF less than lvo each on their re-
spective Legislative candidates. and OF these
close counties both parties almost equally
the berefcaries. The Republicans claim the
following pluraties IN three counties that have
been most hotiy contested: Delaware. 20: Noble,
So; Wood %. This Is total Of l39 plurality
for Representatives in the three counties. A
change of 20 votes. properly distributed, would
have changed the Ohio Legislature TO I3 Demo-