The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-10
UP srArBn AND down RIVER"
Democratic p,vsrrsso,es which Attraot At
tentton.

ALBANY, Feb. 9.-Thore arc fourteen Demo
Gratis in tho present State Senate, and not one of
them comes from q district north of the bonn
dairy line between the city OF New York and the
city OF Yonkers. There arc slxty-nine Demo-
Gratis in the Assembly. and tho overwhelming
majority of them come from what Is known rs
down the river" districts, Several Demo-
Gratis were chosen because OF Republican divis-
ion or disaffection in districts hardly ever car
ried by the Democrats. There Is. for instance, q
Democratic representative Of Cortland county,
the first almost in the memory CT the oldest Cap
itol statesman. Cortland lie one OF the solid Re.
publican counties. but, with two Republicans in
the field for Assemblyman. this year 1t went Dem
ocratic. Another strong Republican county
which has u Democratic Assemblyman is Gin
ten. which gave Gov. Black more than 9. 800 ma
jority in 1896. There is a Democratic repre-
sentative, too, from Schenectady. which Black
carried by nearly 1000. and which went Rcpub-
lican on tho State ticket this year. Niagara
county gave a Republican majority last year Of
1900. but this year, through party divisions, 1t
has two Democratic Asscmblymen.
One visible result Of the Bryanito canvass
and OF the Identification OF tho Democratic party
in New York with tho Populists. tho Farmers
Alliance men. the Greenbackers. and the A
vanced Prohibitionists, has been to diminish II
- hAS SSN Ah hAS '0ae
cities, and to bring to tho Democratic column
many voters in tho farming districts, former
Greenbackers or Populists. for whom tho 16to.1
fallncy has many of the charms which formerly
attended the attractive issue OF imitation -
cheap money and debts easily paid. Tho success
OF the Democrats In some isolated districts OF
the farming sections Of the State at last years
election, in constituencies heretofore Republican.
led these Democratic representatives to believe
that the preference OF tho voters for them and
for the Democratic party may be made perma.
nent. They resisted. therefore. tho selection OF a
New York city man as Democratic leader. have
withheld their support from many Democratic
measures. and seem inclined to insist. that the
policy OF Inc party in the state should be shaped
with some reference to their views and should
not be %N wholly / 81 sordina;ed to the demand and, q
Dement'S naturally raise 70 objections to n the
molly in the Assembly.
The hold OF the Democracy has been rudcly
shaken in All the large cities OF the state. and
lican tho former Democratic majori,ies have
been greatly reduced. To Offset such losses,
which seem to be one Of the inevitable political
must be made and recruits secured in districts
such as those now represented by the coterie OF
guace and in no mild terms Of senator GRADY and
s5 years OF age. The post OF Assemblyman is
his first office. He has little, acquaintance up
inc state, except such as has oeen Cerlrcd from
intercourse with members during two previous
sessions. in both of which tho up State" Demo
Gratis were practically unreprcsented.
The Democrats OF the down the river dis
tricts, who are for rolling. up big maioritiesi in
the cities in disregard of the need of 'Ioin.
something for silver and who wish TO talk
about the Excise law and tho Gnome trusts and
the iniquities OF rural Republicans. are At odds
with the up State" Democrats who are more
interested in the canals than in the saloons. III
the road question than in the pretended war.
fare against trusts. and in the silver question
as n solution of ills than in any other. and to
reconcile the difficulties now growing greater
between the two groups will require more OF
less tact and diplomacy.