The "weak-kneed" contingency must be strengthened and fortified, and a couple of hundred votes in one way or another secured from the opposition.
The Democratic Committee figured out a way to do this.

Monroe County, where both Forbes and Hopkins resided, was one of the Democratic strongholds of the State.

The portions of Washington and Jefferson Counties included in the Eighth District were as strongly Republican, and being more populous gave to the district its natural Republican majority.

On the same ticket that was to elect a Representative to the State Legislature was the candidate for Sheriff of Monroe County.

A man named Cummings was the Republican and Seth Reynolds, the liveryman, the Democratic nominee.