The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-03
Up.town and Downtown Registration.

The able statisticians OF Fifth avenue anu
Forty.third street. west side. have In the
name Of tho Republican National Commit
tee issued an extraordinary bulletin OF cleo
tior computations. One statement stands
forth consplcuously. II is this:
zone Of the important facts ia that the regis
tsa,ion for 1897 below Fortlcth street where the
Dem ocrats especially strong 3sol less than IL
was In 1855"
This would be an important statement II
It were true. We see on every hand owl
dences OF increasing business activity. a
rapid growth in population. the substitution
OF fats and tenement houses for smaller
dwellings. and large increase Of hotels, high
and low. princely and plebeian. In the older
portion Of the town. And yet the kepub-
lican bulletin tells us that either the popu-
lation Ia falling of or that the interest In
elections Is diminishing. inasmuch as there
are fewer voters hare than there wero four
years ago. Notwithstanding the evident In
crease in the population and the large In
fusion Of now citizens by naturalization.
Is the Republican claim truo? 1t Is not
true. The Republican statistlcians are
mistaken. In the election OF 1888 the total
registry in that part OF the city which is
south OF For:ieth street was l5l.l6G.
Since then four years have elapsed and
there has been an altered condition OF poll
ties established by the Introduction OF
new ballot law. which tends to hamper and
embarrass the elector. if not directly to re-
strict the casting OF his vote. Experience
has shown. in this State ut least. that these
restrictions arc more injurious to the DEM
ocrats than to the Republicans, and it might
naturally have been expected that there
would have been some falling of in the to-
tai registry ON that account in the down
town districts. But there was not. the
total registered vote having been l5s,052.
In other words. there are about 1000 more
voters registered in the section Of the city
which lies south OF Fortieth street than
there were in 1888. This Is a healthy. nor
NAL. and encouraging gain OF between four
and five per cent in four years. under condi-
tons not favorable to any increase what
ever. for it is to be remembered TINT this
yenr. for tho first Presidential election
since 1876. there is no local contest for city
offices in New York.
In tho territory above Furtieth street 1t
Is not necessary to consult the figures Of
the registry. but rather those OF the Build
ing Department. in order to realize how
rapid is the growth in population and bust
ness activity up town. to which. every year.
thousands OF persons move from the older
parts Of the city to secure at Il smaller rent
better accommodations and greater con
veniences. In this territory tho registry
OF 1892 thus compared with that OF 1883
1883 .135@ o+
ISL. ioi.a'a
The percentage OF Increase up town is
greater. OF course. bu.. rs the figures show
that the preponderance OF voters is still in
the districts below Fortieth street. which
will cast fully COCO more votes than
the districts above that boundary. as
chosen by the Republican statisticians for
their computations. Aud we may add that
tho Republican headquarters. from which
these misleading bulletins emanate. is in
the minority end Of the town. whereas both
Tammuny Hall and the Democratic ma
| tional headquarters are south Of Fortieth
| street.
| Many similar misstatements. easily dis
proved. have been circulated by the Rcpub-
lican managers regarding the political
situation in New York during the last few
days. Are these m!sstatements the result
| OF wilful desire to mislcad ? We think
| not. The Republican managers at national
headquarters are deceived by tho local Re-
publican bosse5 for reasons which will
appear presently, and will surprise many
when they do There is no falling off in tho
registration below Fortieth street.