The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-12
Tho Spring Elections.

On Monday last the State Committee of
the National Democracy repudiated the
Chicago doctrines ratified at Buffalo in Sep
TENDER as essentially Democratic. TIL
meeting also declared its intention to main
tain the National Democratic organization.
1t may not participate in the election OF
1897, at which, as the committee declares,
no State issues of Importance are to be de-
cided, but proposes to take an active part in
the State election Of 1898, when, as the ad-
dress issued to the Democrats OF the State
explains, control of the State, with all
Of the momentous interests involved, will
be again at stake.' In aid of such a plan
the cooperation OF all the friends of true
Democracy is invited, and with a view to
their practical organization, a resolution was
unanimously adopted, at the suggestion of
n representative of Yonkers, directing the
Executive Committed to advise the mem
bers of the organization in the several couu-
ties where spring elections will be held, to
make nominations in every case"
1t is very doubtful If this determination
to make nominations for Supervisors is
wise, they being chiefly the officers to be
chosen at the spring elections. These con-
tests turn usually on local matters of diff
ference, in which State politics have very
little part. The important cities of New
York and Brooklyn, casting nearly one-half
Of the vote of the State and having an al
most predominant influence in its political
affairs, hold no spring elections; and a po-
litical organization, seeking to rehabilitate
and reunite the Democrats Of New York
for 1897, which would begin its fighting in
the territory outside OF those communities,
could not reasonably expect to make a very
formidable demonstration in State politics.
Roughly speaking, there are 1900 Super
visors in the various counties of the State,
exclusive of New York and Brooklyn. and
OF these fully $50 are Republicans and $50
Democrats. including the county of Scho-
harie, in which the Democrats preponderate
uniformly in the Board of Supervisors as
also in the popular vote. Each town, and
practically each ward of each of the thirty
two incorporated cities, has one member of
the Board Of Supervisors, who acts as the
special representative OF his constituents in
purely local concerns. The elections for such
Supervisors begin on the second Tuesday Of
February in each year. The counties holding
them in the beginning Of February, 1897, are
Broome, which gave MCKINLEY and HOBART
a majority of 1900; Cattaraugus, which
gave them 5000; Chemung. e,7OO; Che
nango 2,400; Delaware, 3,4o0; Fulton,
5000; Herkimer, 300; Madison, 1900;
Onondaga, 1900; Otsego, 9 $500; Putnam,
1900; Richmond, 100; Schuyler, 1000;
Seneca, 700; Steuben, 5000; Tioga, 1000,
and ST. Lawrence, 300.
The honest-money Democrats in these
counties, the Democrats of tradition and
conviction, the Democrats who put patriot
ism above party, voted at this years cleo
ton for MCKINLEY and HOBART, and very
generally, too, for BLACK and WOODRUFF
on the State ticket. The PALMER vote in
all these counties was small; in some of
them it was insignificant, as, for instance,
only 80 in Cattaraugus, 90 in Chemung, rs
in Chenango, So in Putnam, SO in Schuyler,
90 in Steuben, and 46 in Seneca. The
spring elections of February will immedi-
ately precede the Inauguration Of Mr.. Nc
KlNLEY and will follow not long after the
inauguration Of the new State administra-
ton at Albany, supported by n Legislature
overwhelmingly Republican in both
branches. II the National Democrats in
these counties, or rather such of them as
adhered to the PALMER ticket at the recent
election, should provoke a factional war
fare over Supervisors in those New York
counties, the result might be an unfortunate
disturbance, causing embarrassment in the
present political situation. Moreover, it
would be a waste Of political ammu-
milton. 1t would do no good, and might i'm
peril the solidarity and cohesiveness of the
ho~nest-money forces in Congress at a time
when such a diversion could have no posi-
BILE xcuse and would, perhaps, have the
effect Of encouraging the Regulators,
through the prospect of a division in the
honest-money forces.
The past record of legislation at Albany
shows that under the limitations estab-
lished by the new State Constitution, no
measures Of political Importance can be put
upon their final passage and made into laws
as early as the second Tuesday in February;
and while important measures are pending
and undetermined, a sporadic outbreak of
factional activity in contests over Super
visors, would be injudiclous and ill-advised,
as the ADLER and more sagacious leaders of
the National Democracy will probably
understand on reflection.