The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-01
DEMOCRACY SURE OF GAINS.
Bitter Municipal Contests Through
out New York state.

Albany N. Y, Oct. 31.-Twentyfour
campaign finds a condition as chaotic as
has ever been apparent in the politics Of
New York state, and this is due. not to
any lack of well-defined ideas of how the
vote would run if state issues alone and
the election of an assembly were the pre-
vailing factors, but to the injection of
some of the most bitter municipal con-
tests that have ever prevailed in the
cities of the state.
In Greater New York, in Albany, in
Rochester in Syracuse, and in Buffalo,
the five greatest cities of the state, there
will close Tomorrow campaigns on local
issues that have been notably bitter and
even virulent. That these local affairs
will have a bearing upon the vote for the
only state Office in controversy, the chief
judgeship of the court of appeals, must
be conceded. and that they will have a
stll greater bearing upon the assembly
district contests is also apparent.
The indications at this writing are that,
while the contest for chief judgeship OF
the court of appeals will be spirited one,
the chances are distinctly in favor of cleo
ton of the republican candidate. The
belief is general that the republican vote
in Central and Western New York, that
has for the past two or three years been
abnormally large will be in some measure
reduced, but there are no indications that
it will fall below its own normality, which
is to bring down to New York city plu-
rality of 65,OO0 with which to meet any
plurality which the democrats below
there can show. In the past two years the
plurality in the cities that make up Great
er New York has been republican one,
and the best computation of democrats of
their expected plurality in that district is
So 0OO so, that upon their basis of figures,
unless landslide occurs, the republican
candidate for appeals judge must be
elected.
The democratic candidate has some ad-
vantages, however, in being placed. twice
upon the ticket, and in newspaper indorse-
ment, and these things may prove of
greater aid than has been anticipated. 1t
is of advantage to remember that to elect
a democratic state officer after the tre-
mendous republican p,uralities of the past
three years. would be an almost unprece-
dented event. In 1884, the republican, plu-
rality in the state was $4,000; in 1895 it
was $1,000. and in 1896, a presidential year,
it was $4,000. If any one of these tre-
mendous pluralties is cut in half 1t Will
be a partial victory for the democrats.
Within thirty years the democrats have
controlled the legislature but four times
in its two branches. and in that time have
elected by joint ballot but three United
states senator's. Herman, who was carried
in by the Tllden wave and Hill and Muir
ply, elected by the democratic body that
succeeded what was known as the Hill
apportionment. Throughout the state the
democrats have made strenuous efforts
this fall to increase the number of demo-
cratic members of the lower house, and it
is evident that success viii crown their
efforts. Indeed, the republican managers
have at all times believed that this was
not only possible but highly probable, be-
ing naturally aware that last years i'm
mense majority of eighty in the lower
house was due to the national campaign.
The next assembly WILL however, be stll
republican by a very good margin, but
the democrats will accomplish one thing
for which they are evidently striving, the
reduction of the republican majority to
such an extent that In such reduction they
may see hope of a democratic house in
1899, when a successor to Senator Edward
Murphy is to be elected.