The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-11-12
THE NEW YORK ELECTION.
The Only Wonder r That Il
Was Not Worse


For thirty years the State of New Yorl
|, has been debatable ground, with its gen,
erNs drift toward Democracy since the wal
period ended. Fourteen Gubernatorial
elections.6 a,,, now been held since the Re-
pubIican usrfS was organized, and each
party has cfvrisd eevcn, the most emphatic
Republican vistosiM bSiSy won during the
war epoch, wheif fhe party nd the benefit
Of Democratic acceusdCps. Since 1874 the
Republicans have had but one GSHexpoi
cornell, in 1879, when the DemocratS S&n
two candidates), and the drift Of the Stat5
has been so steadily In their direction that
the Democrats now claim II in their column.
The reasons for this are not far TO find.
New York City 10 the dumping ground for
Europe. Tens Of thousands Of Irish have
poured into it, been naturalized, and are
now known as "Tammany," an organiza-
ton at least $4,000 strong. The Italians
and French are also very numerous, and
are solidly Tammany Democratic. The
Germans also mainly all vote the Demo-
cratic ticket there. The few Republicans
among them have neither an organ nor an
organization. Besides these there are
some fifteen or eighteen thousand American
voters in the city who act with the Demo
Gratis, and, with the thirty or forty thou
sand Germans and q few Irish, constitute
the other faction called the "County De-
mocracy" Out of the 100000 Democratic
voters of that city, fully 10000 are
foreigners" and their numbers are con-
tinually increasing, as their sons vote with
them and more and more of their relatives
arrive from Europe. New York has thus
become really an Irish city under the rule
of Tammany Hail. II has an Irish Mayor
and an Irish Sheriff and many of the
Judges. The Irish control the Council, the
Police, the Fire, and the Street Depart
ments, and most of the offices, as they do
in Boston and New Haven.
Brooklyn is in the same political condi-
ton in a lesser degree. 1t gives Demo-
cratic majority of from 5000 TO $4,000.
Three -fourths of the Democrats there are
Irish. They have also swarmed over into
Connecticut, and hold New Haven and
other cities in sufficient strength to make
Connecticut Democratic State. West
chester County, adjoining New York, and
all the river towns up to Troy and Albany
are also under Irish control, and conse-
quently are Democratic strongholds.
Arrayed against Tammany is the County
Democracy" composed of Americans, Ger
mans, and few Irish, whose only politi-
cal object is to contest the local offices
with the Tammany Irish. The two fac
tons hate each other cordially. The Re-
publicans being in q hopeless minority in
the city, there is noS necessity for compro-
mise or union between the factions, and
there is nothing to abate the fierceness of
their rivalry. Their only object is to out
vote each other and seize the local Offices,
and for this purpose to call out as big a
vote as possible on each side SO as to mo-
IL. IS H.
which now are swollen to about S33, 600, 900
per annum, and which are sufficient to give
employment to 10000 officeholders of all
sorts.
Under conditions like these the Demo-
Gratis have solid and reliable majority of
at least 10000 ON both sides of the river.
Around the bay they control 5000 more.
In the range of river towns from Albany
down to New York there is an additional
5000, so that the Republicans have fixed,
unyielding majority of at least 10000 to
overcome with their vote west of Albany.
In other words, except under extraordinary
circumstances, this majority is little more
than that from the rural districts.
The Republicans, carrying majority Of
the counties, still retain control of the
Legislature, and will be able to make the
laws, subject to the Governors veto, but
this fearful foreign majority around the
Bay of New York has swamped them on
the State ticket. The savage effort of the
two factions TO get control of the local Of
fees added to their strength on the
State ticket, which both factions
supported. The only hope of Re-
publicans in the future lies in the
nomination of man of extraordinary popu-
larity like Mr.. Blaine, but who can at the
same time command the mugwump vote.
This vote Mr.. Davenport had, but, whatever
it may have amounted to, it was far more
than offset by the Blaine Irish," who went
back to their allegiance all over the State.
This fall, as in 1884, the Republicans
also had to fight against the rural Prohibi-
tionists, who have become possessed of the
insane idea that they can enforce prohibition
in State like New York, the chief city of
which would vote down prohibition
amendment by more than 100000 majority
if it were ever submitted, and if carried
would trample its enforcement under foot.
Their vote last year was 5000, more than
nine-tenths of it Republican, and this year
ii will probably reach 10000. With such
tremendous obstacles confronting the Re-
publicans, the chief among them being the
Irish obstacle in the alien city of New
York, it is needless to look further for the
cause of their defeat. The only wonder is
that it was not worse.