The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-05-23

York state aud National Eiections-ihe
Percentage Of Voters to the Population
Greater In the Country.
A comparison of the election returns
at the end Of the last century, about the
time of the adoption Of the constitution
of the United States, with the returns
for the last presidential election, shows
how widely the suffrage has extended 10
the United States. In Massachusetts,
between l77S and lIoi. the proportion OF
votes cast to the population varied from
. to . per cent. In several counties of
the state of New York there were cast at
the election of 1899 almost one-third as
many votes as there were inhabitants
IL is the habit of many people to take
it for granted that the earlier institu-
tons of the United States were more
democratic than the present ones, and
that the tendency of these times is to
put the political power in the hands of
few men and to take it away from the
multitude. No such theory is borne out
by the election returns. At one of the
most hotly contested elections Ill Virgin
ia, when Chief Justice Marshalls father
was n candidate for membership in the
house of burgesses. or what would cor.
respond to sssemblyman here, there was
only one vote cast to every 10 inhabit'
ants. ratio smaller than that cast III
any county in this state for II great many
years. There was a property qralifica-
ton for electors in this contest, and it
was frequently the case that the voting,
/ r l,. ballet
| viva voce There were so few electors
that they would all come together on
election day. and their names would be
called, every man naming his choice.
With all the talk about the large vote
of the city of New York and the power
of its majorities to settle the result in the
state, it is somewhat contradictory that
the election figures should show that
New York has hhe smallest ratio of voters
to inhaBitants-lcss than half as large rs
the ratio in many of the rural counties.
Brooklyn comes next and Buffalo third.
Throughout the state it is general that
the Democratic counties cast fewer votes
to the number of their inhabitants than
the Republican counties. In New York
the number of inhabitants to each voter
is $50. in Kings 5.95 and in Erie BOG,
while in Cortlandt and Otsego the ratio
is BIZ to /; 3.lG in Yates, 3.3j in Gene.
see, 1888 IN Delaware o'oo III Ai'esanH
5.2O IN Madison, 800 III oi'"rio' o.<- III
st. Lawrence. ms SHOWS ra'lo .wie,
as large IN New J oFN anu aiiiIost t"ics
as large in Brooklyn and Buffalo as in
the rural counties.
Ihere are TWO iililh REASONS W ocoo, "
for TINS One Is the uliierehce III u''
election laws III tiie ci''es anu III wv
counties. anu the other Is t''e "iileiehI :,
IN the character oi 'ie poPui"Ii"h' i
cannot lie oiilerehce III poli.'Gs' lo'
Schoharie, one OF the lew rurai Dcino
cratic counties shows ratio OIL D. To- aii'
Greene, another peHocranc county hu
Y ratio oil $50 Inc percentage Vi No'e''
Is lower IN the cities IMAM III 'ne rura
d districts. Inc TWO couiitles vi oc.enec
tady ana ochoharle are Deiiiooia 'l0 an,
contiguous Schonarie Is purely asrl
cultural county Whlie great ParV
the population OF ochehectauy county
IN Schehectauy' "hich Is Iio oud is sum
little CITY ochehecVauy mas o'oVo lioi
POP =, = :,
several hundred le"er votes. anu tnere
difference Ola 'hiru III treir ratios;
One reason tor 'he li'sIi ratios III NeN
YORK. 1roohiy.l anu Duiialo - .he "a" nIs
st nuinoer OF alels III 'hose ci'ies'
alens count III tie populatioh' ou' the
90 not count Ill 'he NUMBER Vi ro'e,.
:: According 10 the s'atecensus New iolh
popuiatloh Is ohe-iour'l amen anu Vi
ratio IN bunalo ~ ai'iiost az iisn,
announcer tiiinS Is 'le uiiereiioe III eioV
" ZION laws III tie CLUES man mas W 5
" 'ie Poiiins Piaoo ~ ~ -, !
" So. a''u ~ ny -, s'''s IL 49,,
. .,'o I'm. .. . I,;s 49,, 80, ~. ~,
'''i' ''''o ~ -. ~;
on '''o Si.,- 80 i,,s xxi, -,
Go ,,u ~ ~ ,ha ,;,na 81 t,s Ra y,
V. ,"4:tl a., - 80 IL
.u.i .ios. ""' " H.. Zee, ;,,t 20
n ooss'."no' - a,'J that ~
eot % ''eie's'is 80 5."i a.a .n". =;