Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1885 — Old-Time Partisanship. [ARTICLE]

Old-Time Partisanship.

In the election of 1792, George Clinton was the candidate for governor of New York on one side, and-John Jay on the o her. The returns showed a majority of about 300 for Mr. Jay, but in the counties of Clinton, Otsego, and Tioga technical errors were discovered in the returns which threw out Mr. Jay by 108 adverse majority. The counties of Clinton and Tioga offset each other, and’the result was due to the manner of dealing with the Otsego county returns. The law required that the returns from each county, after being delivered to the sheriff, should by him be delivered to the State canvassing committee. A man named Smith had been sheriff of • Otsego county, and, when his term ran out, had been reappointed. He declined the second term and his successor was named, but did not receive his commission until after the election. Smith therefore received th? ballots and sent them to Albany. The majority3of the canvassing committee, being Clinton’s partisans, decided that Smith was not the legal, sheriff at the time of the election, and threw out the Otsego returns altogether, thus changing Jay's majority of 300 to 100 majority for Clinton. Notwithstanding great* political excitement. Clinton was duly - inaugurated and served out his term. This precedent, ninety-two years ago, shows that in the “good old times” partisanship was as violent and unreasoning as it is now.— Hartford Courant.