New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-16


AMONG THE MOUNTAINS OF DELAWARE
CoUNTY-wHERE REPUBLICAN MAORI
TIES HAVE BEEN STEADILY GROWING
fDY TELEGRAPH TRIDrySJ
Delhi n. Y, Oct 15.-By its fortunes in the
Democratic gerrymander Of 1892 Delaware
County Of which this pretty mountain village is
the county seat was shifted violently from the
Hudson River group. with which it is politically
and raphically affiliated. and attached for
PARTISAN reasons. pure and simple. to the south
ern central group Of counties lying in the basin
Of the upper Susquehanna. This arbitrary
transfer had double political effect. For on
the one hand, it facilitated the carving out OF
three Democratic Congress districts in the Hud-
son Valley-the XIXth XXth and XNlst-two
of them scant in population, while on the other
1t masscd together in the Susquehanna region IN
a single district, the XNN1th, five strong Re-
publican counties. with an overpus population
Of nearly 10000. OF the five counties in the new
XVIII Observation-Disclosures. Chenango. Broome,
Tioga and TOmpkins-any one but Broome could
be dropped without cutting under the normal
Congressional ratio while the retransfer Of
Delaware with its $1,000 population to It's
natural place among the Huds n River counties,
would fail to raise the Congressional average
there to anything like the excessive ratio fixed
by the inequtable Apportonment Act Of 1899 for
the great Republican districts Of Central and
Western New-Yor
REPUBLICAN MAJORITIES.
The XVIII District gave in 1902 Republican
majority on the Presidential ticket Of 1851 the
majorties by counties being: BroOme, 2,9l9;
Chenango. l.1O5; Delaware lis; Tioga. 1.29S;
Tompkins 1874. Last year Palmer for Secre-
tary of State. carried the district over Cord
Meyer by 1852 on comparatively light vote.
The normal Republican majority on the Con-
gressional ticket may therefore be put at about
1900 although the great per 'onal strength of
the Republican candidate and the unusually
favorable conditions for Republican success TINS
year may swell the majority in the district to
5000 or over The Republican Congressional
nominee is George w. Ray, of Norwich Che
successive nomination without opposition of any
sort within the party. Mr.. Ray was elected in
1882 to the XLVIIIth Congress from the old
Chenango District. and returned again
from that district in 1890 to the Lid Congress.
He was renomnated in 1892 from the new
XVIII District. and his services in Washing
ton have been so cordially appreciated by his
constituents. old and new. that. although he
comes from one Of the smaller and less infu-
entail counties of the district he was enthus-
astcaliy nomina ted by acclamatiOn at the re-
cent Republican Congressional CONVENTION. Mr..
Ray: is the leading lawyer Of the Chenango
County bar.
MR.. RAY HONORS HIS DISTRICT.
Though counting but three years of continu-
Gus service in the House OF Representatives. Mr.
Ray has already reached the top place Of the
minority side Of the Committee on the Judiciary
and he will undoubtedly become the chairman
of that important committee if the next House
is controlled by the Republicans. G. w. Ray
Is native of Chenango County, and got his
educat ton in the Norwich Academy. He served
as a private in the 10Th New-York Nolun-
teers. entering the army when only nineteen
or twenty years old. After the war he re-
turned TO Norwich and studied law. and for
twenty years past has taken an active part in
State and local politics.
Two years ago no Democratic candidate could
be induced TO make the race against Kim, his
established strength in this constituency deter
ring all aspirants from seeking the empty honor
of Democratic nomination. This year an OPP
porent for Mr.. Ray has been found by the
village who has consented to make the fight
chiefly for the purpose of strengthening his posi-
ton in the Democratic organization in Della
ware County Mr.. Smith is the editor Of a
Democratic weekly newspaper. The Delaware
Gazette" published here in Delhi He was
formerly n school teacher ard has only recently
engaged iE active politics. II is not likely. how
ever. that he will be able TO reduce Mr.. Rays
ajorty below the 5000 mark he is without
acquaintance in the district. to which his county
is still new and his candidacy lacks sadly all
the essential elements Of personal strength.
THE INDUSTRIES OF THE DISTRICT.
Delaware County, the largest in area in the
State outside the Adirondack district, lies in the
heart Of the upland mountainous region, In which
the tumbled ranges of the Blue Ridge system
stretching norheas;ward fror: Pennsylvania
scatter and terminate. The slope Of this broken
country is toward the west and south and the
valleys drain, as a rule. into the |
streams which form the sources Of the Susque- |
hanna and the Delaware. This upland district
Is comparatively inaccessible to railroads, and
the chief lines of communication. west. south !
and north. are the disconnected branch roads !
which penetrate the more open valleys The |
valley land is admirably adapted to grazing and !
as in Sullivan and Orange counties dairy farm /
Ing Is almost the exclusive agricultural pursuit !
Delaware ranks ar'Ong the first butter-prO- |
ducing counties of the State and the butter trade
has proved the chief source of the county's
wealth.
In the Delaware River section a nourishing IN !
1ustry has been built up through the extrac- !
lion from hard woods of wood alcohol and acids !
used in the composition Of analine dyes This /
industry has been somewhat affected by the :
passage OF the German Tariff bill. but is not now
supposed TO be permanently crippled. Much .
has been aroused. however, among /
he wood alcohol producers by this check given /
% their industry by the reduction in the chem ,
cal schedule of the tariff law. and the in
furious effect of the lower rates OF duty is being
made local issue in the present campaign. The
,rice Of butter has also fallen off nearly one
bird. as a result or the nara times Whlcn nave /
ollowed the restoration of the Democratic party .
o power and the dairy interests are naturally
Harmed at the state of the trade and anxious R
or political change. which may tend TO 3
store popular confidence and general prosperity, /
md revive the former demand for so pure food :
luxury as high grade Delaware butter.
GROWTH OF REPUBLICAN STRENGTH I
In Delaware County. In Orange, Sullivan
Ind other neighboring counties despite
Utmost stationary population, there has been for
en- or fifteen years gradual accession of Re
publican strength. In the seventies and early