Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-22
NEW YORK.
Republicans Say They Have No Cause for
Discouraxement.

Republicans Say They Have No Cause for
Encouragement.
Correspondence Of The Evening star.
New YoRx, Oct. n, 1892.
This is a great day In New York state The
country voter is having his turn at Legislation
today and the politicians are hard at work see
ing that he gets out and gets on the registration
lists Curiously enough both sides are claim
ing victory in regard to the registration in
New York and Brooklyn and the smaller cities Of
the state There is, of course, large increase
in the registration in New York but the statis-
teal sharps on the republican side claim that it
Is not even as large the normal growth Of
New York city and Brooklyn would warrant
They claim. therefore. that New York city, or
the section known below the Harlem" is
not likely to give such a rousing democratic
majority as has been claimed by the democrats
On the other hand the democratic leaders
express Themselves well satisfied both in the
great cities and IN the smaller ones scattered
through the state That there have been gains
In most Of the cities throughout the state n IN
doubted Whether they have been more than
the normal growth would warrant Ii doubtful
The republicans have made careful consulta-
tions and claim that there is a larger grpwth in
the republican cities than IN the democratic
ones. The next registration in the villages and
elsewhere will be watched with great interest
The country voters do not like the Australian
ballot and there Is great anxiety in the minds
of the republicans about getting that vote out
on election dsy.
As to what will be the result in New York
state on election day no man can foretell. 1t is
too close to make accurate prediction. The
chances seem to be about even. The repub-
ilchns had plurality four years ago of 14,37S;
the democratic plurality one year ago WAS
~ .937, but the total vote one year ago was
l5S AIS less than the total vote in the last presi
dental election. The falling off of the repub-
lican vote on that occasion was IL :. 1872. showing
that that number of republicans STAYED at home
and dill not vote in the last state cleo
ton. while the falling off in the democratic
vote war only about SO 600 Whether the repub-
lIcans viii get out their vote thoroughly in
this election they did in the last presidential
election Ii n question.
There are reasons for doubling il. One
reason Is the apathy which is SO notice
able in political ranks generally and another is
the dissatisfaction among the voters with the
new tangled method of voting, known as the
Australian ballot system, in operation in this
state now. Nearly every time that the Austria
liam ballot has been tested in other states it has
been found that there is falling of in the
republican votes. The farmers do not like this
new tangled city way of voting. The big
ballots which they have to handle and check
puzzles them. and they do not like
TO admit that they do not understand
il and call upon somebody to explain
IL. hence many of them stay away from the
polls on account Of it. Ii is a cause of the loss
In republican votes wherever IT is used. True
the present ballot system has been twice used
in the elections in this city and state. but they
were both in elections in which 100. 900 voters
OF more stayed away from the polls end large
percentage of them were republicans.
There are, therefore. 100000 voters
ut least. probably 10000. including the
new voters. who exercise that right
for the first time this year and are not schooled
In this ballot system. Therefore il is still likely
to have a marked effect in keeping voters away
from the polls unless the republicans wake up
and establish immediately ballot schools all
over the state, which they do not seem to be
doing.
The democratic majority below the Rar-
lem. which means chiefly New York and
Brooklyn. it Is believed. will be somewhere from
81, 900 to $1,000. Whether the republicans can
get majority in the state above the Har-
lem" sufficient to overcome this il a question.
They had in the last presidential election
li.373 plurality. Whether the apathy and the
dislike of the Australian ballot. added to
the loss of several thousand farmers who
have moved out of the state in the last four
years. will make IL impossible for them to over
come the majority in this city and Brooklyn is
the one question now being closely canvassed.
The struggle that il being made TO get out their
vote throughout the state is tremendous and
will continue more vigorous every day until the
polls close on the sth Of November.