Glen’s Falls in the Apostrophe Era — GOP ‘whirlwind’

This is the latest in an occasional series of posts based on local 19th century news reports before Glen’s Falls dropped the apostrophe from its name.

The Warren County Republican party in 1871 reportedly spent $1,000 — the equivalent of $21,145 in 2020 dollars — in Queensbury alone on get-out-the-vote efforts, which in that era might include the passing of a few “greenbacks” to sway undecided voters.

In Stony Creek a prominent GOP store owner distributed free shoes, boots and groceries to help influence the vote.

The Democratic machine, meanwhile, was strapped for cash.

“On the other side, the Democrats had no money — scarcely enough to hire teams to bring out the vote,” The Glen’s Falls Republican, a Democratic-aligned newspaper, reported on Nov. 14, 1871.

The outcome was a Republican “whirlwind” in which the GOP handily won every office except judge on the ballot, at margins ranging from 453 to 884 votes.

“The great political whirlwind that swept through the state on Tuesday last and tore the commonwealth from its Democratic moorings took Warren County in its course and buried our local ticket in common ruin,” the Republican reported.

The Republican attributed the loss to voters that were apathetic or angry with Democratic political corruption in big cities.

“Many Democrats refused to come to the polls. Others voted a part of the ticket. And still others, appalled at the doings of Tammany, voted for the opposition candidates.”

Democrats would regroup and be more powerful in the months to come, the Republican warned.

“Look out for Democratic thunder in ‘72!”

Click here to read the most recent previous post in the series.