Governor of 719,195,' Governor Fenton received a 13,789 majority over Hoffman. General Stewart L. Woodford, for lieutenant-governor, increased his majority over Robert H. Pruyn to 15,023. The remaining two Republican candidates also increased their respective majorities." The State campaign and election were largely overshadowed by national questions. No matter of purely State policy was alluded to in the Syracuse platform. In the northern, central and western parts of the State,3 the proposition that eclipsed all other issues was the great national question of the constitutional amendment. The results in New York City and the returns throughout the State in opposition to the City were extraordinary. Hoffman's majority of 46,000 in the City, exceeded by 9,000 the Presidential majority of General McClellan. Over against this Democratic gain in the City, Fenton made sufficient gains upon his vote of 1864

1 Included 354 scattering.

? Canal Commissioner, Republican, Stephen T. Hoyt, 15.551 majority over National Unionist (Dem.), Wm. W. Wright; State Prison Inspector, Republican, John Hammond, 16,273 majority over National Unionist (Dem.), F. B. Gallagher.

3 Allowing for natural bias the Times gave an approximate prediction as to the political situation in New York City, when it said (New York Times, Nov. 6, 1866): “The vote in the City to-day will be cast without much reference to broad national issues. The opponents of the Police Commissioner; the advocates of unrestricted liquor dealing; those who would revive the old Fire Department and abolish the new; the Anti-Sabbatarians and the bulk of those who claim the privilege of instant naturalization on landing here; will do as they have generally done-press forward and record as many votes as they can for the Democratic candidates. On the other side a great majority of the steady advocates of municipal reform who believe that our Police system works well and advantageously for all classes; who do not believe in the revival of the old Fire Department, or the old Police Department, but who do believe in the Health Commissioner and a stringent Excise Law-will record a steady, solid vote for Governor Fenton and generally for the Republican party."

rs-State, to defeat the "need" in their metropo`ta strongboÛĒE?

The Democratic majorities in New York City may be really accounted for. The obnoxious legislation at Altary passed during the previous winter by a Radical Republican legislature against the liquor interests was attentive for that element to present a solid front for Hofman In addition, there were such powerful comBinations as the Ring." the Custom House and the Post Office all of which opposed the movement for a further check and balance system in municipal affairs. The Federd institutions in New York exerted a strong ir Fuence in favor of the Democrats through Johnson's use of the spoils system.

Although an unusually large crowd gathered in Printmg House Square to learn the returns, election day in New York City passed off in comparative quiet." The local elections for New York County excited little comThe chief offices filled were those of register, surrogate, recorder and coroner. Mozart Hall united in a temporary armistice in order Tammany Hall and

New York Herald, Nov. 7. 1866.

*New York Tribune, Nov. 9, 1856.

*New York Herald, Nov. 7. 1866. Gustavus Myers, The History of Tammany Hall, passim. New York Times, Nov. 7, 1866. The fact that the Registry Law was in force at this election, had an undoubted tendency to decrease the amount of fraud at the polls. (1) However, the papers mentioned a number of arrests for illegal voting, sufficiently suggestive to give ample ground for a belief as to the existence of great corruption in the use of the franchise. (2) From the up-State reports, moreover, it would appear that not all the fraud had been committed in New York City. The Times made the following comment Nov. 14, 1866: "From Rensselaer, Columbia, Saratoga and Albany counties the universal statement is that money flowed like water... Electors marched up to the polls under the convoy of some well known ward politician, who placed tickets in their hands as they reached the ballot boxes, and after depositing their votes took out his pocketbook and paid them . · ·

to secure the election. As a result of the severe excise laws they were aided in their efforts by the unrest among the liquor interests, wholesale and retail, especially the German element. To defeat this coalition, Republicans united with the War Democrats to form an anti-ring county ticket. General Charles G. Halpine, a genuine War Democrat,' was elected register. His majority over Mr. McCool, the Tammany and Mozart Hall candidate, was 19,091. However, Gideon T. Tucker, for surrogate; John K. Hackett, for recorder; and Dr. Shirmer, for coroner, all Tammany and Mozart Hall candidates, were elected over their anti-ring opponents.3 The Republicans and Democrats elected respectively, General Alexander Shaler and G. M. Herman as supervisors. The overshadowing influence of the State contest no doubt detracted from the endeavor to oust the Ring candidates. All of the Democratic candidates for Congress from New York City were elected, which was a gain of three.* The Fourth Congressional district in

before hundreds of people, without even the mock decency of retiring to one side." The Tribune after the election, under the caption "Liberty and Lager," attempted to prove that the German vote had not gone against the Radicals. New York Tribune, Nov. 9, 1866.

'Gen. Halpine had served throughout the Rebellion as a War Democrat. He achieved considerable fame through his writings under the pseudonym of "Private Miles O'Reilly," which did much to popularize the Union cause with his countrymen by birth.

'Register, Halpine, 63,552. McCool, 44,461. New York Tribune, Nov. 8, 1866.

New York City gave Horace Greeley a sharp rebuke for his arraignment of the Ring by sending John Fox, his Democratic opponent, to Congress with a 9,988 majority.' But in spite of this Greeley rejoiced, "We can beat the Ring! The defeat of Hoffman went far to insure this, but the magnificent success of General Halpine renders it a certainty.""

The Radical majority in Congress remained in the ascendant, assuring the defeat of Johnsonian doctrines. The Congressional districts in the State maintained their Radical majority, to which was added a gain of three in New York City, of one in Brooklyn and a similar advance in the Monroe District.3 New York was represented in Congress by twenty Radicals and eleven. Democrats.

1

New York Tribune, Nov. 8, 1866. Greeley, 3,607; Fox, 13,595. 2 Ibid.

Second Session, Thirty-ninth Congress.

-Tribune Almanac, 1867, p. 2 et seq.

Mr. James Brcoks's return to Congress by the Democrats of the Eighth District, was made notable by his defeat of Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the first woman to aspire to a seat in Congress upon a straight Woman Suffrage ticket. The New York delegation in the next Congress was:

1st District--Taber, Democrat.

The election left the New York State senate unchanged, with the exception of the twenty-seventh district, where the vacancy caused by the resignation of Canal Commissioner Hoyt was filled by John J. Wicks. This gave the senate twenty-six Republicans to six Democrats. In the assembly eighty-four Republicans were elected to forty-four Democrats, thus giving the Republicans a majority of sixty on a joint ballot. As will be shown, the election of a Republican United States Senator to succeed Senator Harris was assured.

With no escape from two years more of Republican administration the World' consoled the Democratic masses of the State, especially those of New York City, on the splendid fight they had made "for the true Union cause." But, while it made a plea for fair play,' it could

New York World, Nov. 7, 1866.

'New York World, Nov. 8, 1866. "By means of registry laws, ex