The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-30
THE GERMANS INVADE THE FIFTH.
An Amusing Condition of Affairs in Old
limo "True American" Territory.

An Amusing Condition of Affairs in Old
Time "True American" Territory.
About one-half Of the present Fifth Assem-
bly, district is made up Of territory within the
Ninth ward. or "old Ninth ward" as It Is more
generally called. a stronghold OF native Ameri-
cRnism. The other half includes nearly oil the
territory OF the Fifteenth ward. which was for
many years the only safe and sure" Republican
ward in town. The Fifth Assembly district was
represented in the last Legislature by William
A. Chanler. All the Democratic factions in
the Fifth. OF which there are several, united
for Chanler. The Republican vote was split
clean in two. some Of the Republicans support
ing the organization and others the Citizens
Union nominee. Together the two Republic
cans polled 700 more votes than Chanler did.
but Chanler polled 1900 more votes than
either Of them. This year he has shaken the
dust Of the Fifth district from his heels and de-
parted uptown to run for Congress in the
Fourteenth Congress district. and as his sue
oessor Tammany Hall has put in the field q
German-the first German to run for elective
office in this district for nearly thirty years.
In the apportionment Of 1895 there was in
cluded In the Fifth Assembly district one cleo
tion district having o frontage on the Bowery.
and In this election district Ernst Drescher.
the Tammany candidate, resides. Why he
was nominated in q district which has little
German population is one Of the mysteries Of
the present canvass. BY some. persons the
that there are a good many persons In the '''old
Ninth ward" who have Dutch names. Many
Saii taS o sis1z fSsif f e 1 Ct tsI' RR seEPaSS SSS
are frequent. but the descendants Of these
notwithstanding SO called, whose GUS
toms they do not share and whose language
bernard Martin. the Tammany leader. was
DECEIVED by this similarity OF names, as he very
VEL might be. having been 2 resident Of the
what vague idea Of its political geography.
Whatever the cause, Ernst Drescher, the
the, Fifth district on the TRmmany ticket. 10
making a most vigorous canvass In and about
he resides and ON the south side Of which are
Adam Gander's beer tunnel and the Germania
Theatre, where PlattdeptsS6 plays are given
mated two weeks ago. Candidate Drescher
continues his circuitous. campaign OF one
OF German-Americans he meets in his hourly
ROUNDS OF Hanoverisns, SpaRiians. Dantsick;
stffiiks, terror into the hearts Of the Rep pHSIr
cans but for the fact that a majority, Of these
eomDatriots reside on the other side OF the
i is nearly thirty years-thirty years in
1 1Sf;9icst SoI 2 GeT Tnm n MADE RaGa eanyaSs for
iP S95 John n0 r. SM05Ini E tee Sii ssIoon ON TH Tnlye IN
sity place near Twelfth street, Mol, like
Drescher. was a German American. and he
abandoned, or rather Suspended. the sale Of
beer for the work of politics and became q
nominee for assistant Alderman. Never be-
fore had a German-American run for such an
office in the Fifteenth ward; never has one
since. Mr.. Moll's campaign was confined as
Meinherr Drescher's now is to one block only.
He could never get out Of IL. His enthusiastic
but thirsty partisans would never let him.
His place OF business was opposite the Society
Library. but he never got more than ten PAGES
from his saloon before he was surrounded by
nartisans. who persisted that he should return
land set 'em up" Mr.. Mol continued 10 return
to set 'em up until the night. of election when
he polled. In the entire district 1913 votes and
came within 1000 of winning. Old residents
OF tho Ninth and Fifteenth wards remember
the case Of Mol and they see some duplica-
ton OF 1t In the case Of Drescher. who Is also
running on the Democratic ticket and In a
district not favorable to Democratic candi-
dates this year.
The Republlcans of the Fifth Assembly dis
trict whose loader IL Postmaster Van Cot. are
making this year . strenuous effort not only
to elect the Republican Assembly candidate.
DR.. Nelson Henry. one OF the best known
young Republicans In the district, but TO elect
him by a majority 30 large as to- put the Fifth
district in the Republican column again.
One Of the curious things about the contest Is
the fact that the Fifth Assembly district has
more French voters than any other In town
and that Melnherr Drescher. lnLhis scrupu-
lous attention to hls own election district, has
not yet begun active canvassinR among the
French voters OF South Fifth avenue.