Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1916 — NEW LEADS WATSON IN LAST REPORTS! [ARTICLE]

NEW LEADS WATSON IN LAST REPORTS!

Robinson Second Ounce Votes Necessary to Determine Standing of Senatorial Candidates.

Late reports from Indianapolis indicate that Harry S. New, of that city, was slightly in the lead over James E. Watson, of Rushville, for United States senator. There are 3,177 precincts in Indiana and with all in but 577 New had a lead of 1,300. Of those still out 50 were from Indianapolis where New has been running far ahead of Watson. It is probable that the contest will be carried to the state convention to be held on April 5 and 6. Requests are being sent out for the Robinson second choice votes, which will go to New. and Watson, but in almost all cases election boards did not follow instructions in tabulating the ballots and simply showed the second choice votes without showing from whence derived. For instance, in Jasper county Watson received 469 votes and New 335, while Robinson received 130. The tabulated returns shb'w that Watson received 141 second choice votes and New 130 second choice votes, but m determining the result affecting Watson and New they are entitled only to the second choice votes of those who voted for Robinson for first choice. If each then received half of 'the second choice of those who voted for Robinson for first choice and all had voted for second choice the result in Jasper county would be Watson 534, New 400. These second choice votes are necessary in determining the result and in Jasper county and all over the state they were not kept correctly by election boards. It will probably be necessaiy for the ooard of election commissioners, composed of County Clerk Perkins, C. C. Warner and J. J. Hunt to count all of the votes again. In Benton county it at once became evident that this would be necessary in settling local contests and the question arose as to whether the elec-, tion commissioners had a right to open the pouches containing the votes.' It was contended by some that the precinct boards would have to be called together for the purpose, but Judge Berry issued an order for the election commissioners to do the recounting and they at once went into executive session and »tarted the work. After all the Robinson second choice votes are in and applied r.o New and Watson if either has a majority of all votes cast they will be nominated, but this is improbable for the reason that many of the voters did not make second choices. Thus it becomes probab.e that the contest win be carried to the state convention on April sth and 6th.