The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-24
ELECTION STATISTICS.

The statistics gathered by the Registrar of
Voters in regard to the late election are of
interest. The total registration was SO. ia.
1t is understood by those who are behind
the scenes in political matters that some
1000 or $500 of these registrations were fraud
uent; that is to say, that they were dupli-
cations of persons who had registered else
where under other names, or that they rep
resented persons who did not exist Deduct
ing these fraudulent names, we find that the
actual number Of authorized voters in the
city must be about 81 200 The Registrar, of
course, had no authority TO make such de-
duction as this, whatever his private opinion
NAV have been, and in examining the details
of his statement convenience requires that
we should assume, as he did. that the voting
population of the city numbers 59.714.
OF these 32,971 or over % per cent, were
natives, and &c, 743, or nearly As per cent,
foreign born. Here, again, the Registrar
had no choice but TO class all foreigr-born
voters in lump as foreigners. But, in fact,
a large proportion of the toreign-born voters
came here as children and were brought up
at our schools, un0er the influences of
American Institutions, and are to all intents
and purposes as thoroughly American as
natives of the soil. Again, many years have
elapsed since We had any rush of European
immigration. OF the registered voters who
admitted a foreign birthplace, a considerable
proportion have been here fifteen, twenty
or twenty-five years, and must certainly have
become aeclimatzed. 1t can hardly be con-
ceived that they have not become Americans,
or that they retain in any marked degree feel
ings and opinions which would warrant their
being classed apart. 1t is doubtful whether
the genuine fofeigners-that is to say, the
people who are still foreign IN their impulses
and principles, and whose allegiance would
be divided in case of trouble between this
country and the country of their birth-con-
stitute one ourth of the number who are
returned by Registrar Smiley as uaturalized
citizens. In this respect. it must be borne in
mind, San Francisco differs widely from
New York.
How new State this is, though we have
celebrated our fortleth birthday, is disclosed
by the fact that only 1888 of the SO, IA
voters-say 20 per cent of the whole-are ma
tives of the State. OF the voters who cast
their ballots for Markham or Pond, accord
ing to their party predictions, 47,341-or
nearly 50 per cent of the whole-were born
in other States or in foreign countries. This
seems the less surprising, however, when
we note TINT Markham himself. and Pond,
and SaDderson and Goad were all natives of
other States. Neither candidates nor voters
were racy of the soil
Nearly one-third Of the foreign-torn voters
were born in Ireland. The proportion is
steadily decreasing, as might be inferred
from the small number of Irish immigrants
who now choose this State as their home.
Only few years ago the Irish vote in this
city was reckoned at one-fourth of the
whole; it is now one sixth. The vote of the
German-born citizens is something less than
one-fourth of the whole foreisn-born vote :;
it is proportionateiy increasing. Other ma
tionalities furnish so small proportion of
the voting strength of the city that they cut
no figure in comparisons.
The twenty-onester vote was 1896. This
is vote which will now figure largely in
the calculations of POLITICAL managers. If
for a few years to come we add every year
5000 new voters to the list of native citizens
it win not be long before the native influ-
ence will predominant and the foreign-born
vote will fall into the background. The in
terest which attaches to The organization of
the Native Sons shows that politicians are
not blind to the fact.