The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-26
LOCAL MAYORS SINCE CIVIL WAR History Reveals Close Con- test Between Parties
 for the Chief
 Office.
EACH ONE HAS HAD
 NINE MEN IN CHAIR
Mayor Studley's Term the Longest Single Tenure by Just Half a
 Year.

With what promises to be the most stirring campaign for the mayoralty that has been waged in this city in many years little over. a month away 1t is interesting to inquire, into the his- tory of the mayors office during the more recent years of city government. The present campaign finds unique situation prevailing. With Mayor Studley, who has been several times reelected out of the race and an en- tirely new man to be tried by both of the parties in the test for votes the contest this year resolves itself more strongly than in several campaigns back to a matter of party strengths While the city has for several years returned 6 republican mayor to the office there are great many people who claim that the city is actually democratic under the surface and that a real test of party strength will show such a result.
 AlC VI tilS pdlLlCG4 III BQWf- CT here during the years since the civil war show that the city has been very evenly divided between the two. There have been exactly nine men of each party who have sat in the exect- tive office in city hall beginning with Harmanus W. Welch, who as demos crat was elected to office in 1860 and ho ha1 hn succession of republicans, four in line. followed him holding that party In power from '6S until 1870 Morris Ty- Ter was the pioneer in this movement going in in 1863 for two years. Erastus c. Scranton followed for year Lue- len W. sperry had three years more | and William Fitch completed the reign with year.
 Henry c. Lewis came in for his firses term in 1870, bringing back the demo- cratic party which now stayed in for nine years. Lewis held the reins him- l self for seven years and William R. Shelton came in in 1877 for two-year term. Hobart B. Bigelow as a repub-' lican, came into the. office in 1873 and | WetS tllSAO LOA INu. yOdl o. CPOlA bAiC VA piration of his term the democratic party succeeded in getting back again and once more held a long tenure of office The run lasted until 1889, John B. Robertson, Henry C. Lewis, George F. Holcomb and Samuel A. York each having terms of two years in this per- l iod
 In 1889 Henry F. Peck was elected the republican party holding power for two years but the late Henry B. Sar gent came in with the democratic tide and held the place for four years Since then but one democrat has been in the seat. Albert c, Hendrick was the suc- cessor of Sargent and after a. term of two years he gave way to Frederick B. Farnsworth. The latter failed of re- election, the democrats electing Attor- ney Cornelius c. Driscoll for two years. In 1901 came the present mayor who will on leaving office have served a term of six years and half, the long
 est term by half year of any man who has been In the office in the en- l tire post war period.
 Thus 1t will be seen that the result of the elections has been pretty well divided and there seems to be some room left for dispute as to the proba> ble successful side in the coming elec- ton,