135th New York State Legislature

The 135th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3 to March 29, 1912, during the second year of John Alden Dix's governorship, in Albany.

135th New York State Legislature
134th 136th
The facade of the New York State Capitol building in bright daylight
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1 – December 31, 1912
Senate
Members51
PresidentLt. Gov. Thomas F. Conway (D)
Temporary PresidentRobert F. Wagner (D)
Party controlDemocratic (29-21)
Assembly
Members150
SpeakerEdwin A. Merritt Jr. (R)
Party controlRepublican (100-48-1)
Sessions
1stJanuary 3 – March 29, 1912

Background

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Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1906 and 1907, 51 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts; senators for a two-year term, assemblymen for a one-year term. The senatorial districts were made up of entire counties, except New York County (twelve districts), Kings County (eight districts), Erie County (three districts) and Monroe County (two districts). The Assembly districts were made up of contiguous area, all within the same county.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party.

Elections

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The New York state election, 1911, was held on November 7. No statewide elective offices were up for election. For the first time, a Socialist was elected to the Assembly.

Sessions

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The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 3, 1912; and adjourned on March 29.

Edwin A. Merritt Jr. (R) was elected Speaker with 95 votes against 45 for Al Smith (D).

On April 19, Bronx County was created by the Legislature, to be effectively separated from New York County on January 1, 1914. To date, this was the last county created in the State of New York.

State Senate

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Districts

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Members

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The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature.

District Senator Party Notes
1st James L. Long* Democrat
2nd Dennis J. Harte* Democrat
3rd Thomas H. Cullen* Democrat
4th Loring M. Black Jr.* Democrat
5th Barth S. Cronin* Democrat
6th Eugene M. Travis* Republican
7th Thomas C. Harden* Democrat
8th James F. Duhamel* Democrat
9th Felix J. Sanner* Democrat
10th James H. O'Brien* Democrat on November 5, 1912, elected to the 63rd U.S. Congress
11th Christopher D. Sullivan* Democrat
12th Timothy D. Sullivan* Democrat on November 5, 1912, elected to the 63rd U.S. Congress
13th James D. McClelland* Democrat
14th (Thomas F. Grady)* Democrat did not take his seat, and died on February 3, 1912
15th Thomas J. McManus* Democrat
16th Robert F. Wagner* Democrat President pro tempore
17th John G. Saxe* Democrat
18th Henry W. Pollock* Democrat
19th Josiah T. Newcomb* Republican
20th James J. Frawley* Democrat
21st Stephen J. Stilwell* Democrat
22nd Anthony J. Griffin* Democrat
23rd Howard R. Bayne* Democrat
24th J. Mayhew Wainwright* Republican
25th John B. Rose* Republican
26th Franklin D. Roosevelt* Democrat
27th William P. Fiero* Democrat
28th Henry M. Sage* Republican
29th Victor M. Allen* Republican
30th Edgar T. Brackett* Republican Minority Leader
31st Loren H. White* Democrat
32nd Seth G. Heacock* Republican
33rd James A. Emerson* Republican
34th Herbert P. Coats* Republican
35th George H. Cobb* Republican
36th T. Harvey Ferris* Democrat
37th Ralph W. Thomas* Republican
38th J. Henry Walters* Republican
39th Harvey D. Hinman* Republican
40th Charles J. Hewitt* Republican
41st John F. Murtaugh* Democrat
42nd Frederick W. Griffith* Republican
43rd Frank C. Platt* Republican
44th Thomas H. Bussey* Republican
45th George F. Argetsinger* Republican
46th William L. Ormrod* Republican
47th Robert H. Gittins* Democrat on November 5, 1912, elected to the 63rd U.S. Congress
48th Frank M. Loomis* Democrat
49th Samuel J. Ramsperger* Democrat
50th George B. Burd* Democrat
51st Charles Mann Hamilton* Republican on November 5, 1912, elected to the 63rd U.S. Congress

Employees

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  • Clerk: Patrick E. McCabe
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Harry E. Oxford
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: John J. Dillon
  • Principal Doorkeeper: Fred W. Theobold
  • Assistant Doorkeeper: Thomas Nolan
  • Stenographer: William E. Reynolds

State Assembly

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Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

Assemblymen

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District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany 1st Harold J. Hinman* Republican Chairman of Judiciary
2nd John G. Malone Republican
3rd John Gibeau Republican
Allegany Ransom L. Richardson Republican
Broome Arthur J. Ruland Democrat
Cattaraugus Ellsworth J. Cheney* Republican Chairman of Public Education
Cayuga Michael Grace Republican
Chautauqua 1st Julius Lincoln* Republican Chairman of Charitable and Religious Societies
2nd John Leo Sullivan* Republican Chairman of Affairs of Villages
Chemung Robert P. Bush* Democrat
Chenango Walter A. Shepardson* Republican Chairman of Soldiers' Home
Clinton Charles J. Vert Republican
Columbia John L. Crandell Republican
Cortland Charles F. Brown* Republican Chairman of Public Health
Delaware Clayton L. Wheeler* Democrat
Dutchess 1st Myron Smith Republican Chairman of Excise
2nd Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler* Democrat
Erie 1st Charles C. Page Republican
2nd Clinton T. Horton Republican
3rd Henry J. Rahl Republican
4th Edward D. Jackson* Democrat
5th Richard F. Hearn* Democrat
6th James M. Rozan Democrat
7th Gottfried H. Wende* Democrat
8th Clarence MacGregor* Republican Chairman of Codes
9th Frank B. Thorn* Republican Chairman of General Laws
Essex Spencer G. Prime II Republican
Franklin Alexander Macdonald* Republican Chairman of Forestry, Fisheries and Game
Fulton and Hamilton Alden Hart* Republican
Genesee Clarence Bryant* Republican
Greene J. Lewis Patrie* Democrat
Herkimer Theodore Douglas Robinson Republican
Jefferson 1st Henry E. Machold Republican
2nd John G. Jones* Republican Chairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills
Kings 1st Daniel V. Barnes Republican
2nd William J. Gillen* Democrat
3rd Michael A. O'Neil* Democrat
4th George Langhorst Republican
5th Abraham F. Lent* Republican
6th George Heiberger Republican
7th Daniel F. Farrell* Democrat
8th John J. McKeon* Democrat
9th Albert H. T. Banzhaf Republican
10th Fred M. Ahern* Republican
11th William W. Colne* Republican Chairman of Affairs of Cities
12th Frederick W. Singleton Republican
13th Charles Schmitt Republican
14th James J. Garvey Democrat
15th Thomas E. Willmott Democrat
16th Forrest S. Chilton Republican
17th Edward A. Ebbets* Republican Chairman of Commerce and Navigation
18th Almeth W. Hoff* Republican
19th Jacob Schifferdecker* Democrat
20th Frank Bennett Republican
21st Harry Heyman* Democrat
22nd Edward R. W. Karutz Republican
23rd William F. Mathewson Republican
Lewis Humphrey E. Slocum Republican Chairman of Labor and Industries
Livingston John C. Winters Jr.* Republican
Madison Morell E. Tallett Republican
Monroe 1st Jared W. Hopkins Republican
2nd Simon L. Adler* Republican
3rd August V. Pappert* Republican
4th Cyrus W. Phillips* Republican
5th William T. Keys* Republican
Montgomery Walter A. Gage Republican
Nassau Jeremiah Wood Republican
New York 1st Thomas B. Caughlan* Democrat
2nd Al Smith* Democrat Minority Leader
3rd John C. Fitzgerald Democrat
4th Aaron J. Levy* Democrat
5th Jimmy Walker* Democrat
6th Harry Kopp* Republican Chairman of Privileges and Elections
7th Peter P. McElligott* Democrat
8th Moritz Graubard* Democrat
9th John C. Hackett* Democrat
10th Meyer Greenberg Democrat
11th John J. Boylan* Democrat
12th James A. Foley* Democrat
13th James C. Campbell Democrat
14th John J. Herrick* Democrat
15th Henry J. Crawford Republican
16th Martin G. McCue* Democrat
17th Franklin Brooks* Republican Chairman of Military Affairs
18th Mark Goldberg* Democrat
19th Andrew F. Murray* Republican
20th Patrick J. McGrath* Democrat
21st Dean Nelson Republican
22nd Edward Weil* Democrat
23rd Sidney C. Crane Republican
24th Thomas A. Brennan* Democrat
25th Francis R. Stoddard Jr. Republican
26th Abram Goodman* Republican
27th Charles A. Dana Republican
28th Jacob Levy* Democrat
29th Thomas S. Coleman Republican
30th Louis A. Cuvillier* Democrat
31st Max Shlivek* Republican Chairman of Claims
32nd Morris S. Schector Republican
33rd William B. Ruddick Republican
34th Charles I. Fleck Republican
35th John Yule Republican
Niagara 1st Karl S. Brong Republican
2nd Henry A. Constantine* Republican
Oneida 1st Ralph Entwistle Republican
2nd Herbert E. Allen* Republican Chairman of Banks
3rd James T. Cross* Republican Chairman of Insurance
Onondaga 1st Charles R. Milford Republican
2nd David L. Edwards Republican
3rd Thomas K. Smith* Republican Chairman of Revision
Ontario Thomas B. Wilson* Republican Chairman of Agriculture
Orange 1st Caleb H. Baumes* Republican Chairman of Taxation and Retrenchment
2nd John D. Stivers* Republican Chairman of Public Printing
Orleans Frank A. Waters* Republican
Oswego Thaddeus C. Sweet* Republican Chairman of Canals
Otsego Willard G. Bullion Republican
Putnam John R. Yale* Republican Chairman of Electricity, Gas and Water Supply
Queens 1st Andrew Zorn* Democrat
2nd Alfred J. Kennedy* Democrat
3rd Adam Metz Jr. Republican
4th James A. Bell Republican
Rensselaer 1st Charles Fred Schwarz Democrat
2nd (Bradford R. Lansing)* Republican Chairman of Internal Affairs;
did not take his seat, and died on February 4, 1912[1]
Richmond Ralph R. McKee Democrat
Rockland George A. Blauvelt* Democrat
St. Lawrence 1st Frank L. Seaker Republican
2nd Edwin A. Merritt Jr.* Republican elected Speaker; Chairman of Rules; on November 5,
1912, elected to the 62nd and 63rd U.S. Congresses
Saratoga George H. Whitney Republican Chairman of Ways and Means
Schenectady Herbert M. Merrill Socialist
Schoharie Daniel D. Frisbie* Democrat
Schuyler John W. Gurnett* Democrat
Seneca Nelson Duntz Republican
Steuben 1st Thomas Shannon* Republican
2nd John Seeley* Democrat
Suffolk 1st DeWitt C. Talmage* Republican
2nd George L. Thompson Republican Chairman of Public Institutions
Sullivan John K. Evans* Democrat
Tioga John G. Pembleton Republican
Tompkins Minor McDaniels* Democrat
Ulster 1st Andrew J. Cook Republican
2nd Samuel C. Waring* Republican
Warren Henry E. H. Brereton* Republican
Washington James S. Parker* Republican Chairman of Railroads; on November 5, 1912,
elected to the 63rd U.S. Congress
Wayne Albert Yeomans* Republican
Westchester 1st Tracy P. Madden Democrat
2nd William S. Coffey* Republican Chairman of Penal Institutions
3rd Frank L. Young* Republican Majority Leader
4th George A. Slater Republican
Wyoming Henry A. Pierce* Republican
Yates Edward C. Gillett Republican

Employees

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Notes

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  1. ^ Assemblyman B. R. Lansing in NYT on February 5, 1912
  2. ^ Murlin, Edgar L. (1912). The New York Red Book. Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company. p. 675 – via Google Books.

Sources

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