1887 United States Senate election in New York
The 1887 United States Senate election in New York was held from January 18 to 20, 1887, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 1) to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.
Background
Republican Warner Miller had been elected to this seat in a special election in 1881 to succeed Thomas C. Platt who had resigned. Miller's term would expire on March 3, 1887.
At the State election in November 1885, 20 Republicans and 12 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1886-1887) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1886, 74 Republicans and 54 Democrats were elected for the session of 1887 to the Assembly. The 110th New York State Legislature met from January 4 to May 26, 1887, at Albany, New York.
Candidates
Republican caucus
The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 17, President pro tempore of the State Senate Edmund L. Pitts presided. 20 State senators and 71 assemblymen attended. Ex-Speaker of the Assembly George Z. Erwin (a Morton man) moved that a majority of all Republican legislators should be necessary to nominate, not only a majority of those present, meaning that 48 votes were required instead of 46, which was carried by a vote of 52 to 39. The incumbent U.S. Senator Warner Miller (Half-Breed faction) failed to be nominated by only four votes. Levi P. Morton (Stalwart faction) was rejected by the caucus, like in 1885. A small faction voted for Congressman Frank Hiscock. After the second ballot, Erwin moved to adjourn, which was carried by 48 to 43. The caucus met again on the next day, no choice was made in another two ballots. The caucus met again on January 19 after the joint ballot of the State Legislature, and after twelve more ballots, Erwin withdrew Morton's name and urged the Morton men to vote for Hiscock. On the next ballot Hiscock received one vote more than Miller (47 to 46), but was one short of the previously established majority of 48. On the 18th and last ballot, Hiscock received 50 votes and was nominated. On the next day, Hiscock was elected on the second joint ballot of the State Legislature. Thus, by blocking Miller's re-election, the Republican boss Thomas C. Platt took his revenge for his defeat at the special election in 1881.
| Ballot | Date | Warner Miller | Levi P. Morton | √ Frank Hiscock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | January 17 | 44 | 35 | 12 |
| 2nd | January 17 | 44 | 36 | 11 |
| 3rd | January 18 | |||
| 4th | January 18 | |||
| 5th | January 19 | 46 | 36 | 11 |
| 6th | January 19 | 46 | 36 | 11 |
| 7th | January 19 | 46 | 36 | 11 |
| 8th | January 19 | 46 | 36 | 11 |
| 9th | January 19 | 46 | 36 | 11 |
| 10th | January 19 | 46 | 36 | 11 |
| 11th | January 19 | 46 | 36 | 11 |
| 12th | January 19 | 46 | 36 | 11 |
| 13th | January 19 | 46 | 36 | 11 |
| 14th | January 19 | 46 | 36 | 11 |
| 15th | January 19 | 46 | 36 | 11 |
| 16th | January 19 | 46 | 36 | 11 |
| 17th | January 19 | 46 | Withdrew | 47 |
| 18th | January 19 | 43 | 50 |
Democratic caucus
The Democratic caucus nominated Smith Mead Weed (1834-1920), a lawyer and businessman of Plattsburgh, New York. Weed had been a member of the New York State Assembly from Clinton County, New York in 1865, 1866, 1867, 1871, 1873 and 1874; and a delegate to the 1876 and 1884 Democratic National Conventions.
Result
| House | Democrat | Republican | Republican | Republican | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Senate (32 members) January 18 |
Smith M. Weed | 11 | Warner Miller | 10 | Levi P. Morton | 9 | Frank Hiscock | 1 |
| State Assembly (128 members) January 18 |
Smith M. Weed | 41 | Warner Miller | 32 | Levi P. Morton | 26 | Frank Hiscock | 10 |
| Joint ballot (160 members) January 19 |
Smith M. Weed | 61 | Warner Miller | 43 | Levi P. Morton | 33 | Frank Hiscock | 11 |
| Second joint ballot (160 members) January 20 |
Smith M. Weed | 62 | √ Frank Hiscock | 91 | ||||
Aftermath
Hiscock served a single term, and remained in office until March 3, 1893. In January 1893, Hiscock was defeated for re-election by Democrat Edward Murphy, Jr..
Sources
- "Members of the 50th United States Congress" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-06. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- "MILLER LEADS IN CAUCUS; BUT WANTS FOUR VOTES OF A NOMINATING MAJORITY" (PDF). The New York Times. January 18, 1887.
- "'HISCOCK WINS THE PRIZE; MORTON WITHDRAWN FROM THE SENATORIAL FIGHT" (PDF). The New York Times. January 20, 1887.
- "MR. HISCOCK'S ELECTION" (PDF). The New York Times. January 21, 1887.
- "Smith M. Weed Dies in Plattsburgh" (PDF). The New York Times. June 8, 1920.