New York state election, 1895

The 1895 New York state election was held on November 5, 1895, 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. Besides, the voters were asked if they approved of the State's issuing bonds for $9,000,000.00 to spend on canal improvements, which the electorate answered in the affirmative.

History

The Socialist Labor state convention met on July 6 at Troy, New York, and nominated Erasmus Pellenz, of Syracuse, for Secretary of State; Patrick Murphy, of New York City, for Comptroller; William F. Steer, of Albany, for Treasurer; Morris Berman, of Monroe County, for State Engineer; John H. Moore, of Staten Island, for Attorney General; and Henry Gray, of Westchester County, for the Court of Appeals.^[1]

The Republican state convention met on September 17 at Saratoga, New York. The incumbent state officers, elected in 1893, were re-nominated, and Celora E. Martin was nominated for the Court of Appeals.^[2]

The Democratic state convention met on September 24 and 25 at Syracuse, New York. Perry Belmont was Tempoarary Chairman until the choice of Ex-Governor Roswell P. Flower (in office 1892-1894) as Permanent Chairman.^[3] John D. Teller for the Court of Appeals, and Horatio C. King for Secretary of State, were nominated by acclamation. John B. Judson was nominated for Comptroller on the first ballot (vote: Judson 311, John E. Ashe 99). Norton Chase for Attorney General, and De Witt C. Dow for Treasurer, were nominated by acclamation. Russell R. Stuart was nominated for State Engineer in the middle of the first ballot.^[4]

Lawrence J. McParlin was nominated by the People's Party for Attorney General, but declined to run. He ran instead for Surrogate of Niagara County.^[5]

Results

The whole Republican ticket was elected. This was one of the very rare occasions when all incumbent state cabinet officers were re-nominated and re-elected.

The incumbents Palmer, Roberts, Hancock, Colvin and Adams were re-elected.

1895 state election results

Office	Republican ticket		Democratic ticket		Prohibition ticket		Socialist Labor ticket		People's ticket
Secretary of State	John Palmer	601,205	Horatio C. King	511,060	William W. Smith[6]	25,239	Erasmus Pellenz	21,497	Thaddeus B. Wakeman[7]	6,916
Comptroller	James A. Roberts		John B. Judson[8]		Frederick B. Devendorf		Patrick Murphy		David Rousseau
Attorney General	Theodore E. Hancock		Norton Chase[9]		Elias Root[10]		John H. Moore
Treasurer	Addison B. Colvin		De Witt C. Dow[11]		William R. Rathbun		William F. Steer[12]		Herbert L. Case
State Engineer	Campbell W. Adams		Russell R. Stuart[13]		Walter A. Miles		Morris Berman		Elias H. Borden
Judge of the Court of Appeals	Celora E. Martin		John D. Teller[14]		Edwin C. English[15]		Henry Gray		Charles Ward

Obs.: "Defective, blank and scattering" votes: 19,618 (Comptroller); 19,536 (Secretary)

Due to the adoption of the new State Constitution in 1894, the state officers and state senators were elected for an exceptional three-year term to serve 1896 to 1898, so that from 1898 on the Governor, the state officers and the state senators would be elected at the same time and serve concurrently a two-year term. Thus, this was the last regular election of state officers in an odd-numbered year. Until 1938, in odd-numbered years only the members of the New York State Assembly (which continued to serve a one-year term) were elected, and vacancies were filled, including the judgeships of the New York Court of Appeals which did not occur regularly but depended on the birthyear of the incumbents (if age-limited), the year when elected (if the term expired), deaths in office, or resignations.

Notes

1. ^ Socialists Name a State Ticket in NYT on July 7, 1895
2. ^ PLATT YIELDS TO THE RURAL STATESMEN; The Saratoga Convention Declares for the Enforcement of the Sunday Excise Laws in NYT on September 18, 1895
3. ^ FAIR TREATMENT OF ALL DEMOCRATS; The Convention at Syracuse Controlled by a Determination to Establish Party Unity in NYT on September 25, 1895
4. ^ NOMINATING A TICKET in NYT on September 26, 1895
5. ^ McParlin Declines to be Sacrificed in NYT on October 16, 1895
6. ^ William W. Smith, of Poughkeepsie, ran also for Treasurer in 1887, for Comptroller in 1891, and for Governor in 1896
7. ^ Thaddeus Burr Wakeman (1834-1913), lawyer, author, ran also for Attorney General in 1887 and 1893, and for the Court of Appeals in 1894
8. ^ John Brown Judson (b. Aug. 20, 1861 Gloversville), glove manufacturer, Secretary of the Democratic State Committee, ran also in 1900 for Treasurer
9. ^ Norton Chase (b. 1861 Albany), assemblyman 1886, state senator 1890-91
10. ^ Elias Root, ran also for the Court of Appeals in 1896
11. ^ De Witt Clinton Dow (b. 1852 Fulton), Schoharie County Treasurer
12. ^ William F. Steer, of Albany, ran also for Treasurer in 1893, and for Lieutenant Governor in 1894
13. ^ Russell R. Stuart (b. 1847 Erie County), Division Engineer of the Middle Division of the State Canals 1892-93, ran also in 1900
14. ^ John D. Teller (b. 1845 Kingsbury), of Auburn, Surrogate of Cayuga County 1884-87
15. ^ Edwin C. English, ran also for Attorney General in 1893

Sources

• The tickets: STATE ELECTIONS NOV. 5 in NYT on October 28, 1895
• The Republican candidates: STATE OFFICERS ELECTED; Sketches of Republicans Who Were Victorious in New-York in NYT on November 6, 1895
• The Democratic candidates: SKETCHES OF THE CANDIDATES in NYT on September 26, 1895
• Result in Westchester County: CORRECT VOTE OF WESTCHESTER in NYT on November 8, 1895
• Result in New York City: VOTE AT LAST ELECTION in NYT on November 26, 1895
• Result for Secretary of State and Comptroller, with estimated number in Kings County: THE TOTAL VOTE OF NEW YORK STATE in NYT on December 6, 1895

See also

• New York state elections