The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-10
SIXTH WARDS ARE DEMOCRATIC.
Apparently There Is No Good Reason for II.
but Ii Seems to BE True.

II IL one Of the curiosities Of American poll
tics that. whatever may be the other lines Of
political subdivision, the Sixth ward Of nearly
every American city Is Democratic. and US
ually so strongly so as to be the most conspic-
uously Democratic ward In each place. The
Sixth ward Of New York has almost always
been known as the strongest Democratic ward
in the city. II was overwhelmingly Demo-
cratic fifty years ago. It was Democratic twenty
Ave years ago and it is Democratic to-day.
and In almost the same proportion, though the
character Of the population has changed very
much meanwhile, Usually il has been Demo-
cratic in the proportion OF six or seven to one.
Abraham Lincoln, when first elected President
Of the United States, received ss7 votes in ths
Sixth ward To 2,s27 Democratic. and the pro-
portion at last years election in the Sixth was
the same, though the total vote was larger.
The Sixth ward Of Philadelphia, a Republican
city. Is strongly Democratic. At last year I
election In Pennsylvania the Democratic vote
in the Sixth was 1852 against sl3 Republican.
Bryan carried the Sixth ward Of Philadelphis
in 1896. Ii was tho onlv one Of the thirty
seven wards Of Philadelphia which gave him
q majority, The Sixth ward OF Chicago has
always been Democratic and at the last State
election the Democratic vote in it was 5000
TO 3,2o2 Republican. At the Presidential cleo
tion OF 1895 Bryan received in the Sixth ward Of
Chicago 7,o4o votes to 1850 for Mckinley.
The Sixth ward Of Brooklyn, which lies be-
tween Hamilton avenue, Court street. Atlantic
avenue and the East River, and bears no geo.
graphical similarity to the Sixth ward Of New
York Manhattan). being adjacent to the
Heights, has as strong a Democratic tendency.
the vote in II at the last State election being
400 Democratic and 2,l00 Republican. AZ
the recent municipal election in Cincinnati.
when the Republicans made almost a clean
sweep, electing Mr.. freshman. their candidate
for Mayor. by a majority Of several thousand
the Sixth ward of the city was one OF the few
which gave a Democratic majority
The Sixth ward Of Boston Is very strongly
Democratic and In the Mayoralty election Of
1897 in that city, fought on straieht-out party
lines, The Democratic vote was PA TO sS
cratic vote was 2si TO ~, in another II wa sa
TO 81. At last years municipal election In
Boston. with a good many Democrats support
ing the successful, Republican ,nomlnee, Mr..
Hart, the vote Of the sixth ward was 1000 for
Gen. Collins to i,oOo for his opponent.
The Sixth ward Of Albany Is Democratic
carried by Van Wyck against Roosevelt two
years arc, the Sixth ward of Yonkers, very much
in New lork's vicinity, gave Bryan e?+ votes e
2.s for Mckinley, g., The sixth ward Of Buffalo
| 500 for Roosevelt The Sixth ward Of Utica
was carried by the Democrats at the last State
election. The Sixth ward Of Jersey City u
strongly Democratic. and the Sixth ward o.
Newark usually 40.
The rule, Of course, Is not absolutely uniform
but it may be said as a general thing that II
| every large city OF the country uhs figure.
have already been given for New York. Brook
Ign. Philadelphia, Chicago and Cincinnati
among them) Sixth wards are generally Demo
cratic, but no reason is known to exist fo
this II may Just so happen" 1t may be du'
to the fact that In the laying out Of Amer
for five wards to constitute the original sub
division and the sixth 10 be a subdivision o
the most populous Of the five. Or II may b.
! that sentimental reasons have something /.
do with II, but whatever the true cause, whicl
perhaps som SrN reader can give. the fac
remains that q Democrat usually on election
night can listen with equanimity to the re
turns from the Sixth"