With the exception of New York city the State was loyal to the Union cause during the war and furnished over half a million troops to the Federal armies. Certain commercial interests of New York city favoured the Confederate cause, but Mayor Wood's suggestion that the city (with Long Island and Staten Island) secede and form a free-city received scant support, and after the sanguinary draft riots of July 1863 (see NEW YORK CITY), no further difficulty was experienced.
After the Civil War the State began to reassume the pivotal position in national politics which has always made its elections second only in interest and importance to those of the nation, and the high political tension emphasized the evils of the "spoils system." In 1868 John T. Hoffman, a favourite of Tammany Hall, was chosen governor on the Democratic ticket. Tammany and Hoffman were again victorious in 18 70 ; but in 1871 the New York Times disclosed the magnitude of the Tweed "Ring's" thefts, amounting in the erection of the New York county court house alone to almost $8,000,000, and Tweed and his "Ring" were crushed in consequence. The Republicans carried the State in 1872, but in 1874 Samuel J. Tilden, a Democrat and the leading prosecutor of Tweed, was elected governor. The Republican legis lature had in 1867 appointed a committee to investigate the man agement of the canal system, but the abuses were allowed to con tinue until in 1875 Governor Tilden disclosed many frauds of the "Canal Ring," and punished the guilty. In 1876, Tilden having been nominated for the presidency, New York cast its electoral vote for him. In 188o it was cast for Garfield, the Republican nominee. Two years later the Republicans, having split over a struggle for patronage into the two factions known as "Half breeds," or the Administration Party, and "Stalwarts" of whom the leader was Roscoe Conkling, were defeated, Grover Cleveland being chosen governor. In 1884 Cleveland as the Democratic presidential nominee received the electoral vote of his State. In 1888 Benjamin Harrison, the Republican candidate, the factional quarrels being settled, carried New York, but in 1892 Cleveland again carried the State. Hostility to free silver and "Bryanism" in the large financial and industrial centres put the State strongly in the Republican column in the State and national elections from 1894 to 191o. In the election of Nov. 1910 the Democrats carried not only the State but also the legislature, and John A. Dix was elected governor.
The Democrats again carried the State and the legislature in Nov. 1912, and Sulzer became governor. In the presidential con test, the Democrats carried the State for the first time in 20 years.
In April 1913, Governor Sulzer sent a special message to the legislature urging a direct primary law that would abolish party conventions. The legislature refused to enact the primary bill, and the governor vetoed the legislative substitute. When the legislature recessed on July 23 the governor declared the special session adjourned, but the legislature reassembled on Aug. 11. Two days later the assembly voted to impeach the governor; on Oct. 17 he was removed from office and Martin H. Glynn, lieuten ant-governor, succeeded.
The Republicans were successful in the elections of Nov. and Whitman became governor, and in 1916 was re-elected. In
the November election, 1918, Alfred E. Smith (Democrat) was elected governor by a small plurality of about 15,000. Most of the other State officers and the legislature, however, remained Repub lican. One of the most important laws of the year was the one providing for an income tax of from 1% to 3%. Shortly after his inauguration Governor Smith appointed a non-partisan re construction commission to investigate the problem of a funda mental reorganization of the State Government, and to consider other important problems of reconstruction resulting as an after math of the World War. This commission in its report of Oct. 1o, 1919, recommended an executive budget and the consolidation of the numerous administrative agencies.
In 192o, a presidential election year, the Republican candidate, Nathan L. Miller, won over the Democrat, Alfred E. Smith, by 74,066 votes. The direct primary was abandoned and the con vention system restored for the nomination of State and judicial officers.
The 1922 legislature authorized life-insurance companies to invest io% of their assets in new buildings for dwelling purposes; extended the emergency rent laws to 1924 and fixed assessments as the basis for determining the reasonableness of rents. Women were given representation on county party committees. A home rule amendment was adopted. The 1922 election resulted in the selection of Alfred E. Smith as govern& by an absolute majority of 269,609 votes.
In the autumn elections (1923) the voters approved an amend ment extending to cities a large measure of home rule. The refer endum on a bond issue for $50,000,000 for new hospitals was likewise approved. An important measure of the session was the Home Rule Enabling Act, designed to carry out the amendment adopted the previous year. This law, drafted by the State home rule commission, was adopted unanimously by both houses of the legislature. The New York amendment differs from constitutional provisions in some other States in that it grants powers in general terms. In the presidential election of 1024 the Republicans carried the State by a majority of 383,813. Gov. Smith, however, was re elected but the Republican candidates for the other six elective State offices were successful, and the legislature became more strongly Republican. In the fall election of 1925 the voters ap proved four constitutional amendments. The most important provided for the governor's plan of consolidating the numerous State administrative agencies into 19 departments. Another amendment provided for a reorganization of the judicial system. In 1926 the Democrats succeeded in reelecting Governor Smith though the legislature remained Republican in both branches. Again in 1928 they won the governorship for their candidate, Franklin D. Roosevelt, but failed to carry the state in the presi dential contest for Governor Smith. In the election of 1932 New York cast its vote in favour of the national Democratic ticket, headed by Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, and continued in its habit of choosing a Democrat for Governor by electing Herbert H. Lehman. Governor Lehman was returned in both 1934 and 1936. The national election in the latter year was a Democratic land slide, the State giving Roosevelt and Garner a majority of over one million.