The sun., 1916-11-08
WILSON REFUSES TO
ADMIT HIS DEFEAT
Returns Too incomplete to
Base Any Predictions On,
His View.
TCMULTY NOT CAST DOWN
President and Aids Look to
Bplatcd Western Vote to
Save Party.
rCMULTY NOT CAST DOWN

AsBrRy PARK. y. j., Nov. 7.-Conf-
dence and smiles returned at midnight
TO the grim and frowning party of
Democrats who were gathered In the
summer White House, as the OFFICES on
the top floor OF the Asbury Park Trust
Company building are called. to receive
reports from Democratic national heal
quarters. from the new associations and
the newspapers and relay the ding to
Shadow Lawn.
Presumably II was an equally confident
family gathering at the other n OF a
set OF private telephone and telegraph
wires. where were the President, Mrs.
Wilson. Mrs. william @. McAdoo and
Miss Woodrow Bones.
But up to the very last neither the
President nor Joseph +. Tumulty, mis-
secretary. would concede defeat. Tho
President. inportuned many times dur
Ing the night for a statement. replied
over the wire to Mr.. Trmulty that the
incomplete early returns weia not suffi-
cient basis for any conclusion as to the
final result.
Az midnight when returns from the
West were coming In Sc rotary Tumulty
exclaimed
by heavens. this fght isn't over yet,
It's just started" and he rushed To the
WV Nv " hi '''' - -
returned.
watching for Late Returns.
The President and Mrs. Wilson We're
still at the telephone at midnight, the
neck and neck race in some parts Of the
country inspiring them to a new conf
dence that late returns would overturn
the Hughes gains.
Mr.. GrIyson. who had talked TO the
President over the telephone, said 81
have Just talked with the President. lie
isn't rufied "A bit. He's calm and hes
confident"
At the Offices here II was insisted ,hat
the President was cheerful in his study
at The Lawn. lie was filing in the time
between bulletins chatting to Me family,
II was said, but betrayed the kccnest in-
terest in the returns indicating the i'o-
litlcal complexion OF the next House ami
Senate.
Cheerful he may have been. but ccr-
,ainly he was not getting the sort of
news to make him happy. The earliest
returns made him hopeful. but when IN"
trend In the Empire State became un-
| mis,akable. and the fact that its - cleo
toral votes were lost because the city
had no, backed the Democratic ticket
| with IT. usual strength no longer could
he blinked. the President called Secretary
Tumulty on the wire and had "A long
| talk with him. That was about . o'clock
Claims .O' Electors.
Mr.. Tumulty himself found time to say
TO the newspaper men that he was conf
dent the complete vote would show ohio
: IN the Democratic column. other work
ers. not being in the se~cre;sry's tongue
tied position. were frank enough TO adj
! init that only a landslide On the Pacific
coast could ave their chief.
Secretary Tumulty claimed eo7 cleo
toral votes as absolutely certain for
President Wilson at II 30 O'Clock.
Other states to he heard from later he
believed would be for Wilson, and said
neither candidate had a right to claim
victory as Vet.
The states he claimed a that hour
were:
Alabama. 4: Colorado. { Florida, 6
Georgia. a. Louisiana. 10: Maryland,
S Mississippi. 10 Missouri, -, NJ
braska. $ North Carolina, IL 'ni"'
"a; South Carolina, .: Tennessee, -
Texas. 90 Virginia. /. kentuci'>' IL
Utah. 4. Arkansas. !"
The Democrats Of Ashury Park and
IN. Jersey shore had made elaborate
plans for a ~torchlIght procession 70
shadow Lawn as soon rs the news oi
victory should be received tn" plans
were cancelled very caNly in the event.
A crowd IN the street outside the eN'
.cu,lve offices received returns anu
cheered impartially for Hughes and VII
son when their pictures were thrown OF
the screen.
The Presidential party showed H.
keen disn p%pointment AT the vote IN Ne"
Jersey. A bulletin from FL PaSo whtcl
said that one officer ont Of ~thirty-two 1t
the New York National Guar had vote
for the President provoked grim smiles
The President II Mrs. wilson, il"'
returning from Princeton We're pra'tt
callv In seclusion. They played COL
unt!l late in the afternoon, and th'I
took a motor ride before dinner and The
ordeal OF the night.