The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-29
FRENCH VOTERS IN NEW YORK.
A Fac tor of Increasing Import ance in Some
Political CnlcnIatinns.

Political Calculations.
BY the federal census OF 1890 there were in New
York county 10 $50 inhabitants Of French natlv-
ity, 2, 400 in Kings county and Cos in Richm, nd
county and that part of Queens county which is
now part Of New York cty--a total Of 1852
in the whole territory, II that was the measure
OF the French population in the present city Of
New York which by the same census had n foreign
born population Of 050, 600 il would be relatively
insignificant, but for two reasons il is not. Tho
Belgian residents Of New York. the Swiss residents
the Alsatians all included under scpa rate dc r.
ignatiuns from the French but for practical pur-
poses all the l5"ganS nearly all the AlastiAns, moe
than half OF the Swiss residents tmany Of III, IN
engage in the Slik-wcaying and watch making
hcrcahouts) act in their relations TO public affairs
with the French, With these additions The t,'al
number Of French speaking residents Of New
York is in excess Of 25 OGO
French immigration TO the city Of New York
did not begin, as Irish immigration did prac-
tically, in 1874, as German immigration did twenty
years later, or Italian immigration did ten years
after that, bui has been continuous since the fouu-
dation Of the city, many Of the early inhabitants
Of which were French lIugucnots, Under these
circumstances, the actual numbcr Of persons in
the CITY who were born in France does not give
an accurate reflex Il the number Of French ~
Franco American residents For still another
reason the importance of the French vote 80
called in New York is greater than the figures
would indicate Nearly all Of these voters, French.
Swiss Belgian and Alsatian are in three ASSEM-
bly, districts, the Third Fifth and Twenty fifth
The importance in the political aspect OF what
is sometimes called Il foreign vote is due in con.
siderable measure to the solidarity Of that ymte.
There arc for instance, many Swedcs Iu Sew
York county, but their political influence Is m
considerable in view OF the fact that they ere scat.
tered throughout the city to an extent lsl,a -
10 give them little voice in the affairs Of any ~.
trCt No Swedish candidate has been nominated
for public office in New York for twenty ave
years, despite the fact that Swcdes and Danes ~
rule make excellent and circumspcct rlNEs
ON the other hand. the Hungarians, numerous Ia
the Eleventh ward the Bohcmians, numerous N
part Of the Ninctccnth, and the Russians w"ri
numerous in the Tenth have all three 81 Il rru,
exercised considerable political influence
The sam" condition Of Affairs applies Ia 10
French voters, especially in the two districts. 40
The present Alderman Of the bird district, ,s,ln
yelling, who IL IA candidate Tor reelection on Ne
lammany ticket tins year, is Of French dcs' cut.
and the organl2ed opposition Of the French r",I.
dents Of tie Fifth Assembly district last yror
against what they considered 10 be the dlstaslrhl
nomination Of German American candldal"
.NssemblymHn, turned over III" district from nc
Democratic 10 the Republican column
A disadvantage under which French residents
have heretofore suffered in their effort Ia iair
more active part in political matters III NCW N"'k
is due To their general unfamiariiy with the Eng
lish language, and To the circumstance lnHt lury
are pretty evenly divided between thc two parties;
hclnR Democrats and RCpuhllCans in about "lu"l
proportions. In the last Two years, however. no
voters II French birth or ancestry in N" i've vs.
scmby districts in which they me most numerous
have been acting together, and the SurCr's ~ lH"r
efforts in 1897 and 1898 Seems 10 render p'"Hlb,a
the pcrmaHCn IN the future 81 Me HdI'uuu Il
another "hyrhrnatci faction of murIclrn r'rc-
tors here ht" few lndigcnt vote = am, ne r"ncd-
Americans IN New York. and y sui small, u.pl-
be- Of office holders,