United States Senate election in New York, 1879
Encyclopedia
The 1879 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 21, 1879, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 3) to represent the State of New York
in the United States Senate
.
had been re-elected in January 1873 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1879.
At the State election in November 1877
, 19 Republicans and 13 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1878-1879) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1878
, 99 Republicans, 28 Democrats and 1 Greenbacker were elected for the session of 1879 to the Assembly, and Republican Thomas Murphy was elected to fill the vacancy in the State Senate caused by the death of Democrat John Morrissey
. The 102nd State Legislature met from January 7, 1879, on at Albany, New York
.
presided. Present were all Republican legislators except State Senator Lewis S. Goebel (6th D.) and Assemblyman James W. Wadsworth
. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Conkling unanimously.
for the U.S. Senate.
) voted for 87-year old Peter Cooper
, a New York City
inventor, industrialist and philanthropist who had run for U.S. President in 1876
on the Greenback ticket.
Note: The votes were cast on January 21, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 22 to compare nominations, and declare the result.
factions of the Republican party arose when the leader of the New Yorker Half-Breeds William H. Robertson
was appointed Collector of the Port of New York
, a position Conkling wanted to give to one of his Stalwart friends.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
Background
Republican Roscoe ConklingRoscoe Conkling
Roscoe Conkling was a politician from New York who served both as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and the last person to refuse a U.S. Supreme Court appointment after he had...
had been re-elected in January 1873 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1879.
At the State election in November 1877
New York state election, 1877
The 1877 New York state election was held on November 6, 1877, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer and the State Engineer, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate.-History:The Republican state...
, 19 Republicans and 13 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1878-1879) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1878
New York state election, 1878
The 1876 New York state election was held on November 5, 1878, to elect a judge of the New York Court of Appeals, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and one member of the New York State Senate.-History:...
, 99 Republicans, 28 Democrats and 1 Greenbacker were elected for the session of 1879 to the Assembly, and Republican Thomas Murphy was elected to fill the vacancy in the State Senate caused by the death of Democrat John Morrissey
John Morrissey
John Morrissey , also known as Old Smoke, was an Irish bare-knuckle boxer and a gang member in New York in the 1850s and later became a Democratic State Senator and U.S. Congressman from New York, backed by Tammany Hall...
. The 102nd State Legislature met from January 7, 1879, on at Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
.
Republican caucus
The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 20, Temporary President of the State Senate William H. RobertsonWilliam H. Robertson
William Henry Robertson was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was a United States Representative from 1867 to 1869, and President pro tempore of the New York State Senate.-Life:He was the son of Henry Robertson...
presided. Present were all Republican legislators except State Senator Lewis S. Goebel (6th D.) and Assemblyman James W. Wadsworth
James Wolcott Wadsworth
James Wolcott Wadsworth was an American farmer, soldier and statesman.-Life:...
. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Conkling unanimously.
Democratic caucus
The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met also on January 20. State Senator Thomas C. Ecclesine (8th D.) offered to adopt a prostest against the senatorial election proceedings, claiming that the senatorial and assembly districts were incorrectly apportioned and thus the State Legislature did not represent the wish of the people of the State. The protest was substituted by a resolution to appoint a committee which would elaborate an address on the apportionment at a later date. Ecclesine then marched out, and the remaining legislators nominated Lieutenant Governor William DorsheimerWilliam Dorsheimer
William Dorsheimer was an American lawyer, journalist and politician.-Life:...
for the U.S. Senate.
| Office | Candidate | First ballot | Second ballot |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senator | William Dorsheimer William Dorsheimer William Dorsheimer was an American lawyer, journalist and politician.-Life:... |
11 | 18 |
| James F. Starbuck | 8 | 8 | |
| DeWitt C. West | 8 | 6 | |
| Elijah Ward Elijah Ward Elijah Ward was a U.S. Congressman during the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era.Ward was born in Sing Sing , New York. He pursued classical studies, engaged in commercial pursuits in New York City and at the same time attended the law department of New York University... |
2 | ||
Greenback
The two Greenback assemblymen John Banfield (Chemung Co.) and George E. Williams (Oswego Co.Oswego County, New York
Oswego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 Census, the estimated population was 122,109. The City of Oswego and the Village of Pulaski serve as the dual county seats in a two shire system of government...
) voted for 87-year old Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and candidate for President of the United States...
, a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
inventor, industrialist and philanthropist who had run for U.S. President in 1876
United States presidential election, 1876
The United States presidential election of 1876 was one of the most disputed and controversial presidential elections in American history. Samuel J. Tilden of New York outpolled Ohio's Rutherford B. Hayes in the popular vote, and had 184 electoral votes to Hayes's 165, with 20 votes uncounted...
on the Greenback ticket.
Result
Roscoe Conkling was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.| Office | House | Republican | Democrat | Greenback United States Greenback Party The Greenback Party was an American political party with an anti-monopoly ideology that was active between 1874 and 1884. Its name referred to paper money, or "greenbacks," that had been issued during the American Civil War and afterward... |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senator | State Senate New York State Senate The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve... (32 members) |
Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling was a politician from New York who served both as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and the last person to refuse a U.S. Supreme Court appointment after he had... |
20 | William Dorsheimer William Dorsheimer William Dorsheimer was an American lawyer, journalist and politician.-Life:... |
12 | ||
| State Assembly New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652... (128 members) |
Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling was a politician from New York who served both as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and the last person to refuse a U.S. Supreme Court appointment after he had... |
95 | William Dorsheimer William Dorsheimer William Dorsheimer was an American lawyer, journalist and politician.-Life:... |
23 | Peter Cooper Peter Cooper Peter Cooper was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and candidate for President of the United States... |
2 | |
Note: The votes were cast on January 21, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 22 to compare nominations, and declare the result.
Aftermath
Conkling remained in office until May 17, 1881, when he resigned in protest against the distribution of federal patronage in New York by President James A. Garfield without being consulted. The crisis between the Stalwart and the Half-BreedHalf-Breed (politics)
The "Half-Breeds" were a political faction of the United States Republican Party that existed in the late 19th century. The Half-Breeds were a moderate-wing group, and they were the opponents of the Stalwarts, the other main faction of the Republican Party. The main issue that separated the...
factions of the Republican party arose when the leader of the New Yorker Half-Breeds William H. Robertson
William H. Robertson
William Henry Robertson was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was a United States Representative from 1867 to 1869, and President pro tempore of the New York State Senate.-Life:He was the son of Henry Robertson...
was appointed Collector of the Port of New York
Collector of the Port of New York
The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, most often referred to as Collector of the Port of New York, sometimes also as Collector of Customs for the Port of New York or Collector of Customs for the District of New York, was a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import...
, a position Conkling wanted to give to one of his Stalwart friends.
Sources
- Members of the 46th United States Congress
- VICTORIOUS REPUBLICANS in NYT on November 6, 1878 [gives 1 Greenbacker elected, but Williams of Oswego is not in the list; this seems to have been a preliminary result which was later amended]
- NEW-YORK'S NEXT SENATOR; ROSCOE CONKLING RENOMINATED in NYT on January 21, 1879
- THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS.; A REMARKABLE PROTEST OFFERED AND TABLED; LIEUT.-GOV. DORSHEIMER TENDERED THE EMPTY HONOR OF A NOMINATION in NYT on January 21, 1879
- CONKLING WINS THE SENATORSHIP in NYT on January 22, 1879
- CHOOSING THEIR SENATORS.; ...LIEUT.-GOV. DORSHEIMER FORMALLY ANNOUNCES THE ELECTION in NYT on January 23, 1879