The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-09
COUNTY ISSAFE
REPUBLICAN TICKET WINS BY PLU-
RALTTY NEAR 1900.
Col. Harry b. Smith and McGregOr
Run Bebind, but VIII UndOubt-
edly BE Elected.
THE VOTE VERY PECULIAR
DEMOCRATS GAINED NEGROES AND
REPUBLICANS GAINED IRISH.
What 06 Precincts showed at 2
o'clock Overstroet Is
Easily Elected.

At 4:SO o'clock this morning sufficient re-
turns had been received by the Journal to
indicate that the entire Republican county
ticket had been elected the bulk of it by a
plurality in excess of 1900. Mr.. Overstreet's
plurality will be greater than this. The re-
turns from the election in this county show
results more peculiar than were ever
dreamed of by local politicians, Democratic
or Republican. Without any apparent con-
sistency, one precinct will show a big Re-
publican gain, another a big Republican
loss. and so on, alternating till the average
politician wonders on what the people based
their judgment in voting. This much is GER
tain-the Republicans made heavy inroads
in the strong Democratic South-side votes.
particularly in the districts where Irish
voters were numerous. and among the Ger
mans. On the other hand, the Republican
slump was strongest in the negro precincts.
In the heavy Republican precincts of the
North Side there was considerable scratch
ing, Mr.. Overstreet coming up strong and
oil. Harry Smith suffering from the
scratchers.
Shortly before 4;90 o'clock this morning the
Journal received returns from ninety-six
precincts of the 229 in the county, and on the
candidate for secretary of state these re-
suits showed a net Republican gain of six,
2,S16, and "a gain Of six in ninety-six pre-
cincts showed that the total poll is about
to be vndicated. thus carrying the
county for the Republicans by
plurality between 1900 and 1880. Col.
Harry B. Smith. candidate for auditor,
and John McGregor, candidate for commits
sioner, run much behind this plurality, but
it is hardly probable that Colonel Smith will
lose ten votes to the precinct, and his cleo
ton seems to be assured. Mr.. Overstreet's
plurality will be in the neighborhood of or
exceed $780, All the candidates on the Re
publican county ticket with the exception
of Smith and McGregor, will run probably
about the same as the state ticket
In an Irish hill precinct. where the Dem
CCTdIS nave Ueen SlICIlS, the hepuDlICdllS
made a gain of 20. In the second precinct
of the Fifteenth ward the Republicans made
a net gain of 80 over their poll. Frequently
as the returns from the South Side came in
it was noticed that the Democratic loss was
considerable, although, singularly enough,
Bailey made the best showing on his ticket
in these precincts where his party suffered
the most In the negro precincts in the
Fourth Third and Sixth wards the Repub-
lican losses were considerable, and showed
that the Democratic money had very strong
persuasive powers with number of coIored
men.
One local statesman remarked last night,
in commenting on the strange political zig
gag that had darted across the city, that
Mr. Taggart had tried to juggle the colored
vote in one hand and the Irish vote in the
other. and even blind man could see what
the inevitable result would be. The Irish
vote promptly deserted Mr. Taggart The
first twenty or thirty precincts in alternate
ly raised and lowered the hopes of the Re
publicans. The first six precints showed a
total Democratic gain over the Republican
poll of nine votes. Then it only took three
more precincts to show a net Republican
gain of g. A total of sixteen precincts re-
duced the Republican gain to TO- and TWEEN
ty-fve precincts had the total up to As. The
first thirty precincts in made a net Repub-
llcan loss of Z. and on in this way the loss
and gain fuctuated FoAty-seven precincts
showed a loss OF s, wnile fifty made Re-
publican gain OF AZ, and when the sixty-ffth