“ Elting's wide acquaintanceship in the county was one of his greatest assets in political activities for during his long leadership he came to know leading residents of every community in the county and was personally acquainted with perhaps more Ulster county town leaders than any other man in the county. His political knowledge was almost uncanny and when Philip Elting predicted the election or defeat of a candidate he could tell within a small margin the vote which might be expected. ”

“ In the 1904 presidential election with Judge Parker as the Democratic candidate for president Ulster County went Republican and Theodore Roosevelt, Republican candidate, led his local opponent in the county by 1,800 votes. During his entire lifetime Mr. Elting always took an active interest in political affairs and as a boy came to believe that we all owe a duty to the government of which we are a part and that to properly serve our government intelligently we should all familiarize ourselves with our system of government. ”

“ On July 9, 1934, when the young Republicans of the county gave a banquet at the Hotel Stuyvesant in honor of Mr. Elting's 30th anniversary as Republican leader of Ulster county, one of the speakers was the Hon. John T. Loughran, now of the court of appeals. Judge Loughran referred that evening to Mr. Elting as "a statesman" who was far more than a politician and as one of the most powerful leaders in the state whose counsel was widely sought and highly respected throughout the state. ”