Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-09
In the Balance.

->c'cT OcloIo III tne history OIL tuc
country has the presidential election
been in such doubt. Not even in the
election of 1876 was the result so I'M
certain, for the issue then turned on the
electoral votes Of about three states. At
this hour the result of the balloting of
Tuesday hangs upon the decisions of at
least six states, which are so close
and uncertain that no guess as to the
outcome is possible.
The states which have apparently
voted beyond question number A. and
their electoral votes are divided thus:
Wilson, 251, and Hughes 24O, with 266
necessary to a choice. Thus Wilson
needs Is votes and Hughes 26. These are
to come from the states of California
with IL, Minnesota with IL, New Hamp-
shire with 4, New Mexico with 3, North
Dakota with 5, and West Virginia with
8, total of 40 votes now in doubt.
To win the election. on the basis of
an assurance of 251 electoral votes, Will
SON must carry California and one of
the other states, or Minnesota and one
other, or any other combination that will
total Is votes or more.
Hughes must carry California, Mime
sofa and West Virginia, or the first two
and any other two. He may win without
California if he carries all the others, or
without Minnesota if all the others 20
for him. He cannot win without either
California or Minnesota.
At the hour of this writing Wilson
leads in California by 1926, with 1853
: precincts to hear from. His lead has
: been decreasing with late additions to
= the count. The ballot boxes of 11s pre-
I. elnets are held in Los Angeles for count
ing today. This is Hughes stronghold
and these votes may affect the result.
= Hughes leads in Minnesota, having
overcome Wilson's early lead, which re-
suited from the heavy vote for him in
the cities. But Hughes lead is decreas-
ing with late returns, standing at this
time at 307, with 1854 precincts yet to re-
port.
New Hampshire, yesterday scored to
J., Wilson and later reported for Hughes
surely. has again been put in the doubt
q full column through the discovery of an
error, the recount showing at the pres
emit stage 12l plurality for Wilson. The
recount is not yet complete, and the
state may finally fall into either column.
=. New Mexico is proportionately the
: least reported Of the states, only 1856 of
63s precincts having returned, giving
Hughes lead Of 25s.
North Dakota, shifting back and forth
in the classifeations, now stands at 702
for Wilson, with 172 precincts yet to re-
port.
West Virginia. shifting also back and
forth in the calculations, now stands at
e.6l4 for Hughes. with 1924 precincts to
report. The immediate tendency in the
returns is toward a decrease in the
Hughes lead.
Thus the six states move up and
down in the reports. A few thousand
votes will decide the result, perhaps a
very few hundred. The absent soldier
votes, yet to be counted, may change
the results in California, Minnesota, New
Hampshire or any other state. But it is
now apparent that there will be no con-
eessions by either side. With so many
states in doubt, and the margins so slen-
der. the campaign managers and the can
didates themselves will not readily &C.
cept apparent conclusions. The official
= count will probably be necessary in all
Of these and perhaps even other states
now rated as assured for one side or the
other. And the uncertainty may not be
removed with the official counting. An
appeal to the higher jurisdiction of Con
gress may result from this unprece-
denied situation.