eveloped,
was due in all probability to a miscalculation on the part of some of
the Democratic managers. Their purpose was to have a solid delegation,
counting Wells as one of that number, since his election would be due
to the support of the Democratic party.

But in my district the plan miscarried. In one of the counties there
were two conflicting reports as to what the Democratic majority was;
according to one, it was two hundred and fifty, according to the other,
it was five hundred. The report giving two hundred and fifty was, no
doubt, the correct one, but the other would probably have been accepted
had it been believed at the time that it was necessary to insure the
election of the Democratic candidate. To overcome the majority in that
district was more difficult than to overcome it in any of the other
districts. While their candidate, Colonel Roderick Seal, was quite a
popular man, it was well known that I would poll a solid Republican vote
and some Democratic votes in addition. Fortunately for me there was a
split in the party in my own county (Adams) for county officers, which
resulted in bringing out a very heavy vote. This split also made the
count of the ballots very slow,--covering a period of several days. My
name was on both tickets. The election took place on Tuesday, but the
count was not finished until the following Friday evening. Hence, the
result for member of Congress in that county could not be definitely
ascertained until Friday night.

The Democratic managers at the State Capital were eager to know as soon
as possible what the Republican majority in Adams County would be for
Congressman, hence, on Wednesday evening, the editor of the local
Democratic paper received a telegram from the Secretary of the
Democratic State Committee, requesting to be informed immediately what
the Republican majority for Congressman would be in Adams County. The
editor read the telegram to me and asked what, in my opinion, would be
my majority in the county. My reply was that I did not think it would
exceed twelve hundred; whereupon he sent in the following report:
"Lynch's majority in Adams will not exceed twelve hundred."

Upon receipt of this telegram the majority of two hundred and fifty
instead of five hundred was deemed sufficient from the county heretofore
referred to. If the Republican majority in Adams would not exceed twelve
hundred, the success of the Democratic Congressional candidate by a
small but sa