New York state election, 1881

The 1881 New York state election was held on November 8, 1881, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer and a judge of the New York Court of Appeals, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate.

History

The Greenback-Labor state convention met on August 24 at Elmira, New York. Mr. Furbish was Temporary and Permanent Chairman. All candidates were nominated by acclamation.^[1]

The Prohibition state convention met on September 15 at Utica, New York and nominated Stephen Merritt for Secretary of State; Jefferson Bissell, of Steuben County, for Comptroller; Frederick Gates for Treasurer; George Brooks, of Otsego County, for Attorney General; John J. Hooker, of Tioga County, for State Engineer; and Walter Farrington for Judge of the Court of Appeals.^[2]

The Republican state convention met on October 5. The incumbent Secretary of State Joseph B. Carr was re-nominated by acclamation. Ira Davenport was nominated for Comptroller on the first ballot (vote: Davenport 290, Henry L. Duguid 191). Leslie W. Russell was nominated for Attorney General on the first ballot (vote: Russell 255, Hamilton Ward, Sr. [incumbent] 231). James W. Husted was nominated for Treasurer in the middle of the first ballot. Ex-State Engineer Silas Seymour (in office 1856-1857) was nominated again for this office, and Francis M. Finch, who had been appointed to the Court of Appeals to fill the vacancy caused by the election of Charles J. Folger as Chief Judge, was nominated to succeed himself, both by acclamation.^[3]

The Democratic state convention met on October 11 and 12 at Albany, New York. The Tammany delegates were not admitted and left the convention. Erastus Brooks, the American candidate for Governor in 1856, was chosen Permanent Chairman. William Purcell, of Rochester, was nominated for Secretary of State on the first ballot (vote: Purcell 258, Charles Hughes 96, R. S. Stevens 14). George H. Lapham, of Yates County, was nominated for Comptroller by acclamation. Roswell A. Parmenter, of Troy, was nominated for Attorney General on the first ballot (vote: Parmenter 221, James W. Covert 57, J. Thomas Spriggs 55, Ruggles 21, Lewis L. Bundy 16). Robert A. Maxwell was nominated after the roll was, amid some confusion, called twice for the first ballot (vote Maxwell 197, H. Catlin 187). Thomas Evershed, of Orleans County, was nominated for State Engineer by a rising vote. Augustus Schoonmaker, Jr., was nominated for the Court of Appeals in the middle of the first ballot when the name of William C. Ruger was withdrawn.^[4]

Results

Almost the whole Republican ticket was elected. Only Robert A. Maxwell managed to be elected on the Democratic ticket.

The incumbents Carr and Finch were re-elected.

1881 state election results

Office	Republican ticket		Democratic ticket		Greenback ticket		Prohibition ticket
Secretary of State	Joseph B. Carr	416,915	William Purcell	403,893	Epenetus Howe[5]	16,018	Stephen Merritt[6]	4,445
Comptroller	Ira Davenport	417,460	George H. Lapham	403,385	John Hooper[7]		Jefferson Bissell
Attorney General	Leslie W. Russell	416,337	Roswell A. Parmenter	403,704	Dennis C. Feely[8]		George Brooks
Treasurer	James W. Husted	392,148	Robert A. Maxwell	413,341	Allen C. Wood[9]		Frederick Gates[10]
State Engineer	Silas Seymour	413,430	Thomas Evershed	406,711	James H. Gould[11]		John J. Hooker[12]
Judge of the Court of Appeals	Francis M. Finch	415,410	Augustus Schoonmaker, Jr.	403,799	Lawrence J. McParlin[13]		Walter Farrington[14]

Notes

1. ^ THE GREENBACK FAITH in NYT on August 25, 1881
2. ^ STATE PROHIBITION CONVENTION in NYT on September 16, 1881
3. ^ SELECTING THE CANDIDATES in NYT on October 6, 1881
4. ^ THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET; PLATFORM AND CANDIDATES ON THE ALBANY CONVENTION in NYT on October 13, 1881
5. ^ Epenetus Howe (b. ca. 1842), "a wealthy farmer", of Speedsville, Tompkins County, ran also for Governor in 1882
6. ^ Rev. Stephen Merritt (b. ca. 1833), Methodist minister, undertaker, ran also for Treasurer in 1879, and for Comptroller in 1883, Description in NYT on September 25, 1885
7. ^ John Hooper, of New York City, President of the Colwell Lead and Iron Works
8. ^ Dennis C. Feely (b. ca. 1837), lawyer, of Rochester, ran also in 1887
9. ^ Allen C. Wood, farmer, of Hammondsport, Lessee of the Hammondsport and Bath Railroad, ran also in 1885
10. ^ Frederick Gates, of Herkimer County, ran also for Secretary of State in 1883
11. ^ James H. Gould, engineer, of Cattaraugus County
12. ^ John J. Hooker, ran also in 1879
13. ^ Lawrence Jermain McParlin (b. Nov. 14, 1848 Lockport), lawyer, ran also in 1886, 1888, 1893 and 1896; and for Chief Judge in 1882 and 1892
14. ^ Walter Farrington (ca. 1830 - Nov 25., 1920), of Poughkeepsie, lawyer, ran also for the Court of Appeals in 1884 and 1889; for Attorney General in 1879 and 1906; and for Chief Judge in 1892

Sources

• Result for Secretary of State: THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS in NYT on November 5, 1883 (recalling the previous result)
• Result for Rep., Dem., and Howe: OFFICIAL VOTE FOR STATE OFFICERS AS CANVASSED BY THE COUNTY SUPERVISORS in NYT on November 27, 1881

See also

• New York state elections