Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 November 1897 — COURTS MAY DECIDEL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COURTS MAY DECIDEL

Ohio Election Will Result in Numerous Contests. The contest for the control of the Ohio Legislature will likely be carried into the courts. To the official returns of dose counties protests have been made. It is proposed now to prevent the issue of certificates of election to certain legislative candidates if the courts will so order. Press dispatches say that if Wood Countyshould finally be put in the DcmocraJc list by the official figures the Legislature would stand 74 Republicans to 71 Democrats. While this is a mathematical majority of 3, it is a constitutional suiplu*

of only 1 to guarantee the re-election of Senator Hanna. It requires seventy-three votes or n majority of all the 145 members to elect a Senator on joint ballot. With only sev-enty-fonr votes in the Legislature the death of a Republican member or a Republican vacancy from any cause would leave lhe bare majority aud if Wood County should elect a Democratic representative there would no doubt be startling developments at once in at least two other counties. It is estimated that there were 900,000 votes cast, of which the deciding seventy votes is an infinitesimal per cent. The Republican plurality on the State ticket approaches 29,600.

MARK HANNA.