The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-20

Some New Conditions Of New York Politics
EatnblIahed By Them.

"
Some New Conditions OF New York Politics
Established by Them.
ALBANY, Nov. 1e.-In the popular exultation
over last weeks victory and Republican ma
~jorities all along the line. very little attention
has been paid to the full extent and serious
significance OF the Roosevelt majorities In
many of the interior upstate counties, though
IL was pointed out as probable In this corre-
spondence before the election.
II Ia customary for some New York Repub-
Leans to refer to the days OF Lincoln and
Grant" as those Of golden record in majoritles
In the interior counties, but the fact is that
under conditions which at first would seem to
be very much less favorable for such n result.
Theodore Roosevelt exceeded In many cases
the previous high-water mark OF Republican
success. The nrst OF those conditions is that
In many OF the rural counties tho population.
so far from Increasing, Is actually falling of.
and there has been a consequent reduction In
the number OF voters, 80 that big maJorities"
mean more than they did a few years ago.
Again. there has been simultaneously a large
increase OF the city population In the upstate
districts" and the Democratic party is pro-
verbally stronger In city than country dis
tricts. Finally. 1t is we'll known that ordinarily
the Republican vote does not come out In a
State election to the same extent as in q Presi-
OhNl Ollbt6 bobpllc hCo NV VI
tages. Col. Roosevelt achieved results which
justify the ~liveliest expressions Of satisfaction
In his party.
For many years 81. Lawrence county has
been the banner Republican county. but II has
not been gaining much In population. The
national census OF 1870 gave st. Lawrence
S4.000 population; by the State census OF 1892
1t was $4,000. or an increase Of 1000 only dur
Ing the Intervening twenty-five years. Lin
coin carried st. Lawrence In 1850 by 1917
and In 1854 by 6.S16, and Grant in 3 by
7.947. Roosevelt approached closely Grants
great vote. winning by 1900 on Nov. g. Chau-
tauqua Is another county which long We'd with
81. Lawrence for distinction. and as the home OF
the Republican leader. Fenton, 1t rolled up big
maiorities. In 1854 Lincoln carried Chau-
tauqua by 1890 plurality when Mr.. Fenton was
running for Governor on the same ticket.
Four years later Gen. Grant carried it by 4.aO0
and In 1880 Gen. Garfield by 1850. Theodore
Roosevelt's plurality was $500.
A county In another part Of the Safest.
Lawrence is in the north, and Chautauqua In
the west-which showed surprising results for
the Republicans on the Sth. was Washington.
in eastern New York on the Vermont border.
and including Fort Edward and Whitehall.
Washington county ~partakes of many Of the
political characteristics OF neighboring YER
mont, but 1t Is not a county which is increasing
in population. In 1870 1t had $4,000 inhabit-
ants: In 1890 it had $4,000 only. Lincoln
carried 1t by about 1900 majority in both
1880 and 1854. and Grant in 1868 by
1900. but Theodore Roosevelt's majority
was $500 In a much diminished voting
population. Still another county in another
section of State in which there we're sur
prising results for the Republicans this year
was Broome county which includes the city
- IT, " n---
~sylvania border north OF the turn OF
the Delaware River and north OF the
point at which it forms the dividing line
between New York and Pennsylvania.
Broome connty has usually been Republican.
more especially in it's interior townships. Lin
coin carried it by 1900 plurality in 1854, and
this was deemed a great achievement in those
days. Gen. Grant carried it by 1900 in 1861.
and Gen. Garfield in 1880 by !. ZOO. The Roose-
welt majority was $500 on Nov. g.. although the
total vote of Broome county outside Of Bing-
hampton was only 400 and the city OF Bing-
hampton now casts nearly 5000 votes. A typi-
cal interior county in New York is Madison.
lying between Oneida and Onondaga. In 1870
its population was $4,000; in 1870 it was A.
600. and it is one OF the interior counties which
has suffered most severely from the agricul-
tural supremacy Of the West. 1t has always
been Republican. Lincoln carried it by 2,400
in 8 Gen. Grant by 1900 in 1868. Gen. Gar
field by 2.100 in 1880. Theodore Roosevelt
carried it by nearly 2,700 on Nov. 8.
These comparisons are interesting as shoY-
ing the extent OF the Republican maJorities in
the interior this year. and with here and there
q break. Rochester. Buffalo. and Plattsburg.
for instance. the story is almost uniformly the
same. Of large and almost unprecedented Re-
publican majorities. A few more comparisons
Of majorities and the full story Of the Roose-
welt victory is told: