New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-13
SOUTHERN TIER POLITICS.
POWER MORE EVENLY DIVIDED UNDER
ACKNOWLEDGMENT


AsPIRANTs FOR LEGIsr ALIVE HoNoRs IN
THE FIELD-ANTIPIATT SENTIMENT
IN THE DISTRICT
rrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
Binghamton Aug. 11.-No section of the State
has felt Immediately and positively the
political benefits OF the new apportionment than
the Southern Tier Under the Legislative gerry
mander OF 1892 it had been the aim Of the Demo-
cratic managers to concentrate political power on
the seaboard and in the Hudson River counties
-nomnally Democratic. or at most doubtful
and to minimize proportionally the political I'M
portance and authority Of the stalwart Repub-
lican constituencies OF northern. western and
southern New-York Thus eleven Southern Tier
counties roughly so grouped-Cortand being In
cluded and Tompkins excuded-have had to con-
tent themselves for the last two years with but
three seats In the State Senate. On the other
hand. ten Hudson River counties. with popula-
ton only third greater. have practically con-
trolled through the favor OF the gerrymanders
no less than five votes in the upper branch OF
the Legislature. Under the new apporuonment
which to find a truer and more equitable ratio OF
representation. increased the Senate membership
to fifty. the forcd political balance struck III 1897
has been shifted materially in the Southern
Tiers favor For, while the ten Hudson RIVER
counties will have six seats in the enlarged Sen
ate-a gain Of one-.he border constituencies De
tween the Delaware and Lake Erie have risen
| in number from three to SIX all the new
XIvIth nerhaps controlled absolutely by South
| 'ern Tier influence.
HOMOGENEOUS POLITICAL GROUPS.
hat,a hoe prpC
| here on the ruins OF the unwieldy and over
| weighted apportonment of 1892 follow natural
| boundaries and the counties thrown together
seem 20 form compact and homogeneous political
groups On the extreme east Sullivan County
has been severed from its old Hudson Valley AS
socates and Joined with Delaware and che
mango I'm the new XXVIth-a district boasting
not "A single city within It's borders. perhaps the
| most distinctively rustic and agricultural con-
sttuency in the whole State. Broome. Cortland
and Toga. the remaining fragments OF the olu
XVIII compose the new XXXVIIIth. The old
| chemung- Steuben district has similarly been cut
| in two. Chemung and Schuyler being reinforced
! by Toinpkins their natural associate, 20 make
| the new XIth and Steu0en, to compensate ior
| the loss of Seneca annexng the tiny county Oh
Yates to nil out the XIIst. Further west
| Allegany County long a hopeless minority rac'or
| in the politics OF the OLD NNNllu D'Stii''' Has
heen released from its tantalizing and prohtless
| alliance with Chautauqua and Cattaraugus' ana
left to effect more promising understanding
| with its northern neighbors Livingston ana wy
omng. IN the new XLvIth Cattaraugus and
| Chautauoua old friends and canny antagonists,
form district by themselves. the new Lth, in
| tho far southwestern corner Of the State. II Is
| scarcely necessary to add that Republican senti-
ment in the whole stretch Of southern counties
| has been highly gratified by this material gain
| IN representation at Albany. and that party am
| hilton and activity have been noticeably quick
! ened in many quarters by so welcome an eX-
| pansion of local political power.
| SENATOR OCONNORs RETIREMENT
| The retirement in this district, the new
| XXXVIIIth of Senator Edmund OConnor
threatens to leave the Southern Tier for the first
| time i'm a decade without a figure OF recognized
| Importance in the upper branch OF the state
| LEGISLATURE For many years past the Repuo-
| Mcan leadership in that body has fallen almost
| uninterruptedly to these southern counties unti
| his withdrawal from the Legislature in 1881 TO
accept the Collectorship of the Port Of New YORK.
| 7 Sloat Fassett Of the neghboring Elmira dis-
trict was the president pro tempore OF the senate
| and the Republican spokesman In debate on us
| floor From the recovery of Republican control
In 1899 and up to the close Oh the sessioh vi ''0
| rsg,s,ature inst ended Mr. O'Connor has as
| sumed the task Of leadership abandoned by Mr.
| Fassett That the Republican voters Of this dis
| trict as we'll as those Of the State at large are
| decidedly unenthusiastic over the methods and
| results Of Mr. OConnor's leadership is readiy
Ineligible A leadership conducted chiefly by
| means Of the long distance telephone from the
Capitol at Albany to the office of the United
| States EXPRESS Company in NewYOrk cannot in
| the nature OF things command either enthusiasm
| or respect Nor Is il surprising. after Mr. q Com
| nors melancholy experiences as a leader In the
| disorgarized and demorazed Senate OF 1881,
| that he should weary thoroughly OF political HE
| and eagerly confde 10 the public his determine
| ton 10 end abruptly his political career. Many
| reasons both personal and political. JUSTIFY the
| Broome County Senator's decision to retire from
active political leadership" His legal practice,
as he bitterly complains. has been seriously IN
| jured by his continued absences In Albany ana
a return to the State Senate. he asserts. would
| involve a greater professional and pecuniary sac
| rifce than ne could well afford. Besides. there are
| appreciabIe obstacles in the way OF Mr. OCon-
| nors reelection from the new NHHNlllth DIS
| trict The Republican leader in the State
| Senate has never been very popular candidate
| at home In 1893. with conditions everywhere
| favoring Republican success, he ran as Sena-
| torial candidate 1877 votes behind the state
| ticket In the five counties OF Broome Chenango.
Cortland. Delaware and Tioga. In this county
| alone his vote tell S7l below that cast for John
| Palmer for Secretary of State.
DIsCREDITED LEADERSHIP.
Mr. OConnors course as leader Of the ma
| jority in the Senate at the last session OF the
| Legislature his Indifference to the reform legis-
| lation demanded by the best sentiment Of the
| party and his continuous and open subserviency
| to the Plat machine have all operated 10 in
| tensify his weakness with the Republican voters
| here. His denomination would surely invite