New-York tribune., 1876-10-26
THE ONEIDA COUNTY CONGRESSMAN.


CEILENT WORK N CONGRESS
[FRoM 4 STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
UTICA Oct. 25.-Oneida may fairly be ranked
among the doubtful counties of this State. think
there are more Republican than Democratic voters
in the county because prior to 1874, when the dis
sensions in the ranks of the former eliminated IN
the slaughter at the polls of Ellis H. Roberts, the
Republican candidate for reelection to Congress,
and in the reduction of the majority on thc State
ticket to between 800 and 100, there had been
succession of Republican victories, the majortics
sometimes running high as 5000. do not
care TO discuss in this letter the causes of Mr.
Robertss defeat his friends have always attributed
it to the reachcry of Senator Conklng and hs fol-
lowers while the latter say that ii was due to other
local and personal causes. The election of 1874.
while il gave TO the Democracy one OF the very best
men they have in the present House of Representa-
tivcs seems to have demOrai2ed or dsorganized the
Republicans TO such an extent that they have never
fully recovered. Last year, on rather light vote
the Democrats carried the county for Mr.. Bigclow
by ST majority, while the Republicans gave Spin
ner SO majority and elected their candidate for the
State Senate, Mr. Theodore Sayre, by $50 majority.
While there is, of course, much local interest in
the county ticket the general reader more con-
ccrned with the report which Oneida County may
reasonably be expected to make of itself on the
State and Congressional tickets. Both parties have
placed in the field as candidates for Congress uneX-
ceptionable men. Judge William j. Bacon, the ke-
publican nominee, is lawyer OF some prominence
who several years ago retired from the active prac-
ticc Of his profession. He was believe. born IN
this county and. although ~ years of age, retains
as much mental and physical vgOr as many men
who are 20 years his junior When qnitc
young man he edited a paper in this city
and later in life, was elected for one term to he
an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court OF the
state Since he retired from the bench, six or seven
years ago, he has been active in the temperance
cause though he is not prohibiuonlst. Judge Ba-
cons nomination. am told was not brought about
by Senator Conkngs friends, but think it is not
dstastcful TO them. Though perhaps not as strong
q nomination as might have been made II Is not a
weak one The opposition of the liquor interest
nav cost the Republicans few votes, but il cannot
hurt them much because it naturally casts pretty
solid vote for the Democracy. If Judge Bacon were
a prohibitionist he might have got the entire vote
of that small party 1t is, he will get only por
tion Of il.
Judge Scott Lord the Democratic candidate, has
made a national reputation during his first term III
Congress and barely escaped being placed at the
head of the Democratic State ticket this Fall. Mr..
Lord is a native Of Central New-York, and removed
to Utica less than five years ago. In early life ~
was a Wig in politics, and, at the disntegrdtion of
that party. acted for a time with the American or
Know Nothing organization. After the election OF
1856 in which he voted for Fillmore, he Joined the
Democratic party and has acted with it since.
During the war, like Senator Herman, Judge Lord
was an uncompromising Union man. have
heard that he was chairman OF every com
mittee save one organized in his county
tlo nf lac ar
for the relief Of soldiers and that he presided at
nearly every important war meeting His record IN
Congress has been an unusually successful one. He
introduced the resolution, passed unanimously by
the House. calling upon the Attorncy-General TO eX
plain his dscOuragHg witnesses circular he had
charge of the Geneva Award bill; he introduced
constitutional amendments providing for the cleo
tiOn Of pOstmasters marShas, asscsSors and colcc-
tors except collectors Of customs by the people, dl
rectinQ Congress to enact laws for the punishment
Of official misconduct, and compelling persons
indicted for bribery converting public money
10 testify even though their testimony tend to
crminatc themselves; he was chairman of the man
ayers 10 conduct the impeachment trial against cX
Secretary Bclknap, and he introduced the famous
resolution dcnouncng all attempts by force fraud,
terror intimidation otherwise TO prevent the free
exercise OF the right of suffrage in any Statc' and
coldign. and eilectual punishment, etc. He always
voted for hard money and against the repeal Of the
RESUMPTION act, except on the final vote, when hc
was paired with Gen. Hunter of Indiana Rcpub-
hcan. who would have voted for the repeal
had he been present, while Judge Lord, as
he then announced, would have voted NO me
only thing in Mr.. Lords political record on which
II is possible to base opposition inside his own party
is his connection with the American movement 20
years ago. Although the exposure Of tins defeated
him i'm the Saratoga Convention, it had never been
concealed from his political friends. After his nom
inaiion in 1874 and before it's acceptance, he dis
closed the whole matter 10 Senator Herman and
Others and they advised him to stand. His friends
say that its publication now Will not cause HIM to
lose any votes.
With two men Of snch high character as rival can
didates. nobody will be surprised TO learn that the
canvass is conducted in high-toned, respectable
manner Each discOuneDances in the newspaper
organ Of his party any personal attacks upon the
other and when those organs did publish dsrespect-
full articles each hastened to disclaim any authority
for them and to deny that he entertained any such
opiuion az the editor had expressed Of the other.
have no doubt that If either should be asked to
gnve a brief review Of his rivals character and
record he would do il substantially az have done
in this letter
have said that Oneida may be ranked as IA doubt
full county The active politicians on both sides
agree substantially in regard to the size of the ma
iority but each party claims it for itself. Applying
a rule which OH more than one occasion have found
TO give very satisfactory results, and estimating the
majority as likely to be about half way between the
expectations of the two parties should think that
neither would have more than few hundred to
spare. Judge Lord ought 10 be stronger than his
ticket, and judge that the Republicans think he is,
since of them admitted TO me to-day hathe would