▁elected ▁judge ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁Four th ▁Ch anc ery ▁District ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁re elect ed ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁but ▁res igned ▁after ▁receiving ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party ' s ▁nom ination ▁for ▁governor ▁later ▁that ▁year . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁general ▁election , ▁he ▁won ▁easily , ▁receiving ▁ 8 9 , 9 5 8 ▁votes ▁to ▁ 4 2 , 2 8 4 ▁votes ▁for ▁the ▁Republican ▁candidate , ▁Ch att ano oga ▁Mayor ▁Eli ▁W ight , ▁and ▁ 1 4 , 1 5 5 ▁votes ▁for ▁the ▁Green back ▁candidate , ▁Richard ▁M . ▁Edwards ▁of ▁Cleveland . ▁ ▁Mark s ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁lif el ong ▁Dem ocrat ▁to ▁be ▁elected ▁after ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ▁( his ▁two ▁prede cess ors , ▁John ▁C . ▁Brown ▁and ▁James ▁D . ▁Por ter , ▁had ▁been ▁Wh igs ▁before ▁the ▁war ). ▁ ▁Like ▁his ▁two ▁immediate ▁prede cess ors , ▁the ▁major ▁issue ▁confront ing ▁the ▁Mark s ▁administration ▁was ▁the ▁state ' s ▁deb t ▁crisis , ▁which ▁had ▁resulted ▁from ▁the ▁grad ual ▁accum ulation ▁of ▁bond ed ▁deb t ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁internal ▁improvements ▁and ▁rail road ▁construction ▁over ▁the ▁previous ▁four ▁dec ades . ▁The ▁Pan ic ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁had ▁greatly ▁reduced ▁property ▁tax ▁re venue , ▁and ▁the ▁state ▁had ▁default ed ▁on ▁its ▁bond ▁pay ments ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 5 . ▁ ▁Furthermore