New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-24

THE OLD REPUBLICAN, STRONGHOLDS
The constituencies of the State of New York
may be divided into two classes, namely, the
inhabitants of the great cities and the poDula-
tons of the agricultural counties where no
cities of large size exist. In the early years
of the Republican party its strength in this
State was mainly i'll the country towns, and to
a great extent this still remains true but, as
we shall show, Republican preponderance in
the rural districts has of late years been con-
sideraby shaken. In Pennsylvania, as is well
known, the party is now in minority outside
of Philadelphia. In Ohio also the Democrats
have majority outside of Cincinnati and
Cleveland. 1t was not many years ago that
the Republicans could count on large MAORI
ties in Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia
and Pittsburgh. and in Ohio outside OF
Cincinnati and Cleveland, but it is so no
longer.
The characteristic difference between a
majority in an agricultural region and III "A
city is that the former is much more steady.
Under ordinary circumstances it can be I'M
plictly depended on. In the cities, on the
contrary. voters care much less for party ties,
and party leaders are ready on all occasions
to "sell OUT the general ticket for some IN
dividual gain to themselves. The history OF
the various clques that have managed the
Republican voters of this city affords ample
evidence of this. We suppose that no shrewd
Republican politician would question the fact
that steady majority of 10000 i'll the cOun-
try towns is worth a great deal more than
like advantage obtained for one day only by
supporting John MorTissey or James O'Bnen
for Office in the metropolis.
With the aid of these preliminary observa-
tons the reader can hardly fail to see the i'm
portance of the figures contained in the tables
which follow. The first gives the Republican
maiorities at six elections, held in the period
between 1860 and 1868, in the ten strongest
Republican counties in the State. From this
table it appears that for the years ending with
even numbers the Republican majority aver
aged more than $4,000, and i'll the off years
about 27,50O.
The second table gives the maiOritles III the
same counties at the last four elections. The
- sign opposite Steuben County indicates
Democratic majority. 1t will be noticed that
in 1878, 1874, and 1875 the majority in the
ten counties, taken together, has varied
but slightly from 1880, being 10000 less
than the average of the years 1850, 1861,
1866, and 1868.
The contrast presented to this second table
by the maiorties in the nine counties which
embrace the large cities is remarkable. The
- sign in the third table indicates a Republic
can majority. In each of these counties there
are wide variations, the difference between
1875 and 1874 being no less than 32,218
against the Democrats, while the Democratic
gain between 1872 and 1874 was still greater
having reached 49,529. What the result in
these nine counties will be in 1876 is as
doubtful as any future event can be, but 1t Is
not unreasonable to suppose that If Gov. lilden
should be a candidate for reelection, or for the
Presidency, his opponents would find it difficult
to regain the ground they have lost in their
old strongholds, or to hold on to the queer
fish which their nets have just landed in the
cities