POPULATION OF INCORPORATED CITIES AND VILLAGES OF NEW YORK STATE.

The letter "c" after name indicates that the place is incorporated as a city; the letter "v," that the place is incorporated as a village.

POPULATION OF INCORPORATED CITIES AND VILLAGES OF NEW YORK STATE.-Continued.

degree south and
center of area.

Center of Population and Area. The center of population, as determined by the census of 1900, is six miles southeast of Columbus, Ind., north latitude 39° 95′ and west longitude 85° 48′ 9". The center of area of the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, is in northern Kansas, in approximate latitude 39° 55′ and approximate longitude 98° 50'. The center of population is, there fore, about three-fourths of a sus of 1890.

over thirteen degrees east of the

Census Statistics.

Twenty-eight million, four hundred and eleven thousand, six hundred and ninety-eight people of the United States, or 37.3 per cent. of the entire population, live in cities of over 4,000 population, an increase of 5 per cent. compared with the cen

having 25,000 inhabitants or more in 1900, arranged according to population. (The first column under each census year shows the order of the cities named when arranged according to population.)

25,769

287,104 11
285,704 14
285,315 15
278,718 13
216,070 16
206,433 18
204,731 19
202,718 17
175,597 24
169,164 26
163,752 23
163,065 22

17,317

3,086

21.213

12,258

9,185

16,656

19,329

POLITICAL PLATFORMS, 1901.

Democratic Convention, 1901. The Democratic Mayoralty Convention was held Oct. 3 in the Grand Central Palace, Lexington av. and 434 st. Edward M. Shepard was nominated for Mayor; Wm. W. Ladd, jr., for Comptroller, and Judge George M. Van Hoesen for President of the Board of Aldermen.

THE PLATFORM.

The Democracy of the City of New York, in City Convention assembled, declare their platform of principles as follows:

In the

partisan aims and the terrorism of citizens and officials not found subordinate to the purposes of men who aim at the control of the community in its business, social and governmental aspects alike course of the present occupant of the District Attorney's office, appointed avowedly to advance the interests of political superiors whose purpose is to substitute for the will of the people of New York their own sinister determinations. we see not only a blow directed against the well settled principles of American law and liberty, but the unveiling of a purpose, the logical conBeing a constituency devoted to the Democratic summation of which would be the establishment faith in politics, we are entitled to a Democratic of a tyranny at once infamous and intolerable. administration of the city. We are not deceived We demand for the City of New York an adby the pretences of our political opponents, that ministration of its police and judicial affairs actheir alleged desire for a non-partisan administra-cording to well settled law, through duly elected tion of municipal affairs proceeds from any patri- officials responsible to the people. And not at all otic motive whatever. We have resisted for a an administration shaped by irresponsible conquarter of a century repeated attempts, under in-claves of so-called reformers, carried out in utter numerable disguises, to subject our city to Repub-disregard of what from time immemorial have lican domination. In no community in which the been regarded as the sacred rights of American Republicans constitute the political majority do citizens, by men either destitute of any weight they tolerate any non-partisan control of munici- of character or notorious for their contempt of pal affairs. It is only when they find themselves all opinions, all habits and all customs contrary in a minority that they assume the mask of an to their own. impartial municipal patriotism, with the purpose of securing a political representation in the elective offices to which, without this imposture, they could not hope to attain.

We charge against the Republican party a brutal Indifference to the real interests of the City of New York. Republican legislation has constantly and persistently followed the line of denying to this community the right of self government, until it has minimized home rule in the City of New York, so that to-day the first city of the Union in many important respects has less control of its affairs than the humblest municipality. Vetoes of the Mayor of proposed legislation manifestly detrimental to the city's interests have been overridden purely for partisan reasons, and have received such scant consideration as to makea mockery of that constitutional provision in defense of municipal home rule from whieh so much was expected. To such lengths has this partisan treatment of the city's interests been carried that as between the different boroughs of the city different principles of government have been invoked, according to the varying partisan conditions existing therein.

Out of every dollar of taxation to-day 83 cents must be spent in a manner directed by the Legislature, leaving only 17 cents upon which the judgment, discretion and economic policy of the local authorities can be exercised.

Amendments have been made to the tax laws which relieve rural counties of the State from their fair burden of State taxation by imposing new taxes derived almost exclusively from the City of New York.

Laws have been passed interfering with the orderly levying and collection of assessments, for the obvious purpose of aiding certain favored in terests at the expense of the whole body of tax

payers.

We denounce as a sham the pretence at reform which characterizes the combination made up of Republican partisans, so called Democrats notorious for their greed for office and embittered against the regular Democratic organization because of their failures and disappointments-and a small coterie, distinguished only for their unvarying hostility to the aspirations and interests of the common people.

We are confident that the voters of New York are unwilling to repeat the experiment of 1895 to 1897, inclusive, which gave to the city an administration characterized by prodigality, inefficiency, hypocrisy and intolerance, the memory of which has wedded the people all the more firmly to a responsible and representative government.

We glory in the high position which the City of New York holds among the great cities of the world, a position never before so emphatically maintained as during the four years that are now drawing to a close. Americans who have traveled abroad, and the most distinguished travelers of foreign countries who have visited our shores have borne united testimony to the fact. New York holds this pre-eminence in spite of the persistent and unscrupulous efforts of men actuated by partisan purposes to blacken her reputation. and the no less disgraceful attempt of a press, at once distinguished for a malignant inveracity and utter lack of fidelity to the institutions under which it has prospered, to libel and decry and discredit without discrimination both private citizens and the servants of the people.

We congratulate the people upon the results achieved under Democratic administration of our city affairs.

The policy of gradual encroachment upon the right of the city to manage its own institutions has been followed until it is clear that the Re-quences which the deliberate foresight of men publican party intends ultimately to put all such interests under the control of the State. Our great metropolis is treated by Republican legislators after the manner of a conquered province, and its resources regarded as the spoils or loot of partisans at once avaricious and insatiable.

We reiterate the Democratic principle that under free institutions the only proper function of government is to provide for the convenience, well being and protection of the people, and that all laws which unduly abridge the personal liberty of the citizen in the practice of innocent customs and in the pursuit of harmless pleasures, until repealed, should be carefully construed and liberally administered.

We denounce the perversion of justice as represented for months past by the conversion of judicial positions on the one hand into mere agencies for the carrying out of secret projects against personal and social liberty, and on the other hand the conversion of the great office of District Attorney into an instrumentality for the harassment of political opponents, the carrying forward of

We submit to our constituents with pride the record of the present administration in meeting and solving a problem of municipal government which is without parallel. The Greater New York consolidation was effected in a hasty and unseientific manner, without due regard for conseskilled in the art of government would have prevented. Foremost among these difficulties were the financial problems which early presented themselves. By unnecessarily imposing upon the City of New York a technical liability for the indebtedness of the four counties contained within its territorial limits, the city was burdened with an indebtedness in excess of the limitation imposed by the constitution of 10 per cent, of the assessed valuation of real estate. At the date of consolidation the indebtedness of Brooklyn and Kings County exceeded 14 per cent. of this valuation; the indebtedness of the municipal corporations of Queens County exceeded 16 per cent., and the indebtedness of those of Richmond County exceeded 14 per cent. Owing to this inexcusable careless legislation the city authorities were confronted with the possible necessity of suspending all new public improvements, even of the most necessary character, until the city could be rescued from its technically bankrupt condition and once more placed on the footing demanded by sound finance. Inconsistent provisions of law contained in the

POLITICAL PLATFORMS, 1901-Continued.

charter had to be reconciled in ways calling for new bridges connecting Manhattan Island with the exercise of the best practical statesmanship. the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, respectiveOut of this confusion there has been brought orderly, in addition to an expenditure of $10,000,000 on and progress. The city's credit stands to-day un- new East River Bridge, now nearing completion. surpassed by any of the great cities of the world, It has also furthered the construction of an extenand its manifold and comprehensive activities in sion southward of the rapid transit line, which, furthering works of necessary public improvement by tunneling under the East River, will give to are justly a subject for praise and congratulation. the people of Brooklyn the rapid transit faciliWhen the present city administration assumed ties of the Boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx. office it was confronted with the necessity of These public works, while enormously expensive, liquidating liabilities of many millions of dollars are clearly the most necessary to the proper physincurred by its predecessors for which no provision ical development and future prosperity of our city. for payment by the issue of bonds had been made. and we believe that the great advantages sure to Thus, when consolidation took place, the City of result therefrom will justify the policy which New York had been made liable for lands taken has been adopted in boldly and promptly attacking in condemnation proceedings and for which no this overshadowing problem. bonds had been issued in the sum of $35,118,198.16; $30,362,384.91 of this amount has now been paid. In a similar way the contract liability in excess of funds provided therefor has been reduced from $25,920,664.41 to $7,134, 153.

An honest and sound financiering policy has been adopted, which has liquidated and funded old floating indebtedness, while at the same time refraining from the old and vicious system of postponing present and known liabilities for future administrations to shoulder.

A reduction of the city's old floating indebtedness amounting to no less than $46,646,981.89 has been effected with an increase (on Aug. 1, 1901). of only $55,013,553.14 in the city's net funded indebtedness (including $36,500,000 for Rapid Transit), and this superb financial showing has been made concurrently with the undertaking of new public Improvements on a scale never paralleled.

One of the most urgent problems with which the city administration has had to deal was the woeful lack of school facilities in the several boroughs at the time of consolidation. Though hampered by financial difficulties resulting from consolidation and the urgent and pressing demands of other necessary public improvements, the present administration has opened in the Boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx 27 new school buildings at a cost of $9,790,334 and affording accommodation for 52,050 pupils, as against 11 new school buildings opened under the administration of Mayor Strong at a cost of $2,314,491 and affording accommodation for 19,770 pupils. In addition to the school buildings already opened there are in course of construction to be opened in 1902 three high school buildings and nine public school buildings which will provide accommodation for more than 17,000 pupils.

new

In the Borough of Brooklyn 28 new school buildings and additions, furnishing 25.782 sittings, have been contracted for in the last four years, and in this borough as well as in the Boroughs of Queens and Richmond the appropriations for new school accommodations have greatly exceeded the expenditures made in those boroughs in any other equal period of time.

We condemn the Republican legislation of this year, which will take effect January 1, 1902, and will destroy the existing school conditions under which the several boroughs retain control of public instruction in their respective localities. As the citizens of Brooklyn declared in mass meeting assembled on April 2, 1901, this legislation substitutes a system of centralization that is un-American in principle and injurious in the highest degree, not only to the practical efficiency of the public schools, but to the intelligent interest of public spirited citizens in the greatest institution of the republic.

This general policy of public improvement has been followed in all the departments of the city. resulting conspicuously, among other things, in a material improvement in dock and wharfage facilities, in the construction of a new publie library building in Bryant Park, in the continued improvement and extension of the city's water supply, in the repavement and improvement of the city's streets, and in the construction of new buildings required for the Police, Fire and other departments of the city government, which have hitherto been inadequately housed in rented premises.

We believe the time has come to remove the question of municipal ownership from the sphere of academic discussion to that of practical application. We commit the Democratic party specifically to the municipal ownership of all the sources of its water supply, of its docks and wharves along the city's water front in all the boroughs, the taking control and management as soon as the law and present contracts will permit of the ferries between the various counties in the city, and particularly to the County of Richmond; and, in regard to the new bridges in the course of construction over the East River. we insist that they shall be held and managed by the city and placed at the disposal of the railroad and their corporations only to the extent of granting them a right of way for adequate compensation. In enumerating, however, these particulars in which we pledge the Democratic party in the early future to apply the principle of municipal ownership, we are not to be understood as limiting it to them. The party, looking to the future and realizing fully the difficulties, financial and otherwise, that lie in the way of complete application of the proposition that all proper municipal functions should be exercised by the municipality itself, holds to the doctrine that the best interests of the community are to be promoted by steady advances along the lines here indicated. We denounce the present excise law as iniquitous and intolerable. It was passed at the dictation of the Republican State machine, against the protest of a majority of the people of New York. irrespectice of party. It has given rise to a System of spying and official intermeddling abhorrent to a free people. It extorts exorbitant revenues from this city to aggrandize other portions of the State. It promotes intemperance, furnishes a legalized refuge for vice, imperils the innocence of children and destroys the sanctity of the home.

We therefore demand the enactment of an excise

law conservative of the public morals and liberal in its provisions, that shall place its administration and revenue, so far as shall apply to this

We demand local control of school administra-city, within the control of this municipality, thus tion in the various boroughs.

insuring the enforcement of the law by the consent of the governed.

We urge the passage of amendments to the Labor law of the State which will result in affording laboring men employed on city contracts real

We pledge ourselves to a continuation of the present policy of increasing school accommodation to the end that every child in the City of New York may obtain convenient sitting in full time classes and enjoy all the advantages of our pub-protection to their legitimate interests and will lic school system.

supply city officials charged with duties in respect to public contracts means whereby such interests can be practically conserved.

This public improvement, the greatest of its kind ever known and for which bonds to the amount of $36,500,000 have been authorized, is being pushed In respect to capital on the one hand and labor to completion with a celerity without parallel, on the other, the attitude of the Democratic party due largely to the intelligent and efficient co-op- is to-day, as it always has been, friendly in the eration of all the city departments. While other largest sense to both. In capital and the enteradministrations discussed rapid transit, the pres-prise of the employer we recognize forces that ent administration gave it.

Recognizing that the rapid transit route serves but two of the boroughs of the city, the present administration has begun the construction of two

must be conserved and encouraged if the City of New York is to prosper and maintain its posi tion as the great business and manufacturing center of the continent; and in labor, we recog