136th New York State Legislature

136th New York State Legislature
135th 137th
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, 1913
Senate
Members51
PresidentLt. Gov. Martin H. Glynn (D), until August 13
Temporary PresidentRobert F. Wagner (D)
Party controlDemocratic (33-16-2)
Assembly
Members150
SpeakerAl Smith (D)
Party controlDemocratic (104-42-4)
Sessions
1stJanuary 1 – May 2, 1913
2ndJune 16 – December 12, 1913

The 136th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to December 12, 1913, while William Sulzer, and then Martin H. Glynn, were Governor of New York, in Albany.

Background

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. The Progressive Party, the Socialist Party, the Independence League, the Prohibition Party and the Socialist Labor Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

The 1912 New York state election, was held on November 5. Congressman William Sulzer and Martin H. Glynn were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor; both Democrats. The other seven statewide elective offices up for election were also carried by the Democrats. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for governor, was: Democrats 650,000; Republicans 444,000; Progressives-Independence League 393,000; Socialists 57,000; Prohibition 19,000; and Socialist Labor 4,000.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 1, 1913; and adjourned on May 2.

Al Smith (D) was elected Speaker with 102 votes against 42 for Harold J. Hinman (R) and 3 for Michael Schaap (P).

Robert F. Wagner (D) was re-elected President pro tempore of the State Senate.

The Legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany on June 16.[1] This session was called by Governor Sulzer to try again to amend the primary election law. Instead, the legislators formed a committee to investigate Sulzer.[2] On August 13, Governor Sulzer was impeached by the Assembly with a vote of 79 to 45.[3] Lt. Gov. Glynn then claimed to be Acting Governor, but was contested by Sulzer. After some days, the courts recognized Glynn as Acting Governor, pending the verdict of the impeachment trial.

The Legislature took a recess on August 28;[4] and met again on September 17.

On September 18, 1913, the New York Court for the Trial of Impeachments met in the Senate chamber at the State Capitol in Albany. The trial ended on October 12 with the conviction, and removal from office, of Governor William Sulzer. Lt. Gov. Martin H. Glynn succeeded to the governor's office for the remainder of the term; and President pro tem Robert F. Wagner became Acting Lieutenant Governor.

The Legislature took a recess on October 22; met again on November 10 and took a recess the same day; met again on December 8; and finally adjourned on December 12. On the last day, a Workmen's Compensation Bill was passed.[5]

State Senate

Districts

Senators

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. John C. Fitzgerald, James A. Foley, John J. Boylan, George A. Blauvelt, John D. Stivers, George H. Whitney, Clayton L. Wheeler, Thomas B. Wilson, John Seeley and Gottfried H. Wende changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

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

District Senator Party Notes
1st Thomas H. O'Keefe Democrat
2nd Bernard M. Patten Democrat
3rd Thomas H. Cullen* Democrat Chairman of Cities
4th Henry P. Velte Democrat
5th William J. Heffernan Democrat Chairman of Public Printing
6th William B. Carswell Democrat
7th Daniel J. Carroll Democrat Chairman of Commerce and Navigation
8th James F. Duhamel* Democrat Chairman of Privileges and Elections
9th Felix J. Sanner* Democrat Chairman of Conservation
10th Herman H. Torborg Democrat
11th Christopher D. Sullivan* Democrat Chairman of Miscellaneous Corporations
12th John C. Fitzgerald* Democrat
13th James D. McClelland* Democrat Chairman of Taxation and Retrenchment
14th James A. Foley* Democrat Chairman of Railroads
15th John J. Boylan* Democrat
16th Robert F. Wagner* Democrat re-elected President pro tempore
17th Walter R. Herrick Democrat Chairman of Military Affairs
18th Henry W. Pollock* Democrat Chairman of Banks
19th Henry Salant Progr./Ind. L. contested; seat vacated on April 29[6]
George W. Simpson Democrat seated on April 29
20th James J. Frawley* Democrat Chairman of Finance
21st Stephen J. Stilwell* Democrat Chairman of Codes;
seat vacated on May 24 upon conviction for bribery
John Davidson Democrat elected to fill vacancy, took his seat on November 10:
contested by Morris S. Schector (R)
22nd Anthony J. Griffin* Democrat Chairman of Labor and Industry
23rd George A. Blauvelt* Democrat Chairman of Public Education
24th John F. Healy Democrat Chairman of Penal Institutions
25th John D. Stivers* Republican
26th Franklin D. Roosevelt* Democrat Chairman of Agriculture;
resigned on March 17 to become Asst. US Secr. of the Navy
James E. Towner Republican elected to fill vacancy, took his seat on December 8
27th Abraham J. Palmer Progr./Rep.
28th Henry M. Sage* Republican
29th John W. McKnight Democrat Chairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills
30th George H. Whitney* Republican
31st Loren H. White* Democrat Chairman of Internal Affairs
32nd Seth G. Heacock* Republican
33rd James A. Emerson* Republican
34th Herbert P. Coats* Republican
35th Elon R. Brown Republican Minority Leader
36th William D. Peckham Democrat
37th Ralph W. Thomas* Republican
38th J. Henry Walters* Republican
39th Clayton L. Wheeler* Democrat Chairman of Affairs of Villages
40th Charles J. Hewitt* Republican
41st John F. Murtaugh* Democrat Chairman of Judiciary
42nd Thomas B. Wilson* Republican
43rd John Seeley* Democrat Chairman of Public Health
44th Thomas H. Bussey* Republican
45th George F. Argetsinger* Republican
46th William L. Ormrod* Republican
47th George F. Thompson Republican
48th John F. Malone Democrat Chairman of Canals
49th Samuel J. Ramsperger* Democrat Chairman of Insurance
50th Gottfried H. Wende* Democrat Chairman of Revision
51st Frank N. Godfrey Republican

Employees

State Assembly

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

Assemblymen

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany 1st Harold J. Hinman* Republican Minority Leader
2nd John G. Malone* Republican
3rd William C. Baxter Republican
Allegany Ransom L. Richardson* Republican
Broome Mortimer B. Edwards Republican
Cattaraugus Clare Willard Democrat
Cayuga Michael Grace* Republican
Chautauqua 1st George W. Jude Progressive
2nd John Leo Sullivan* Republican
Chemung Robert P. Bush* Democrat Chairman of Ways and Means
Chenango Walter A. Shepardson* Republican
Clinton Charles J. Vert* Republican
Columbia Alexander W. Hover Democrat
Cortland Niles Freeland Webb Republican
Delaware John W. Telford Democrat
Dutchess 1st Myron Smith* Republican
2nd John Augustus Kelly Democrat
Erie 1st George Frederick Small Democrat
2nd Clinton T. Horton* Republican
3rd Albert F. Geyer Democrat
4th Edward D. Jackson* Democrat Chairman of Excise
5th Richard F. Hearn* Democrat Chairman of Canals
6th James M. Rozan* Democrat
7th Joseph Vincent Fitzgerald Democrat a Manager at the impeachment trial
8th George Geoghan Democrat
9th John Dorst Jr. Democrat
Essex Spencer G. Prime II* Republican
Franklin Alexander Macdonald* Republican
Fulton and Hamilton James H. Wood Republican
Genesee Clarence Bryant* Republican
Greene J. Lewis Patrie* Democrat Chairman of Labor and Industries
Herkimer E. Bert Pullman Democrat
Jefferson 1st H. Edmund Machold* Republican
2nd John G. Jones* Republican
Kings 1st John Joseph Kelly Democrat
2nd William J. Gillen* Democrat Chairman of Electricity, Gas and Water Supply;
a Manager at the impeachment trial
3rd Frank J. Taylor Democrat
4th Harry W. Kornobis Democrat
5th Vincent A. O'Connor Democrat
6th Lester D. Volk Progressive
7th Daniel F. Farrell* Democrat Chairman of Commerce and Navigation
8th John J. McKeon* Democrat
9th Frederick S. Burr Democrat
10th George E. Dennen Democrat
11th Karl Soden Deitz Democrat
12th William Pinkey Hamilton Jr. Democrat
13th James H. Finnigan Democrat
14th James J. Garvey* Democrat Chairman of Public Printing
15th Thomas E. Willmott* Democrat Chairman of Charitable and Religious Societies
16th Jesse P. Larrimer Democrat
17th Frederick Ulrich Democrat
18th Joseph Henry Esquirol Democrat
19th Jacob Schifferdecker* Democrat
20th Cornelius J. Cronin Democrat
21st Harry Heyman* Democrat Chairman of Banks
22nd Joseph J. Monahan Democrat
23rd Thomas L. Ingram Democrat
Lewis James B. Van Woert Democrat
Livingston Edward M. Magee 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 Charles H. Gallup Democrat Chairman of Public Institutions
Montgomery Walter A. Gage* Republican
Nassau Thomas B. Maloney Democrat
New York 1st Thomas B. Caughlan* Democrat Chairman of Affairs of Cities
2nd Al Smith* Democrat elected Speaker; Chairman of Rules
3rd Harry E. Oxford Democrat
4th Aaron J. Levy* Democrat Majority Leader; a Manager at the impeachment trial
5th Jimmy Walker* Democrat Chairman of Insurance
6th Jacob Silverstein Democrat
7th Peter P. McElligott* Democrat Chairman of General Laws
8th Solomon Sufrin Progressive
9th Charles D. Donohue Democrat
10th Meyer Greenberg* Democrat
11th John Kerrigan Democrat Chairman of Claims
12th Joseph D. Kelly Democrat
13th James C. Campbell* Democrat
14th Robert Lee Tudor Democrat
15th Theodore Hackett Ward Democrat a Manager at the impeachment trial
16th Martin G. McCue* Democrat Chairman of Railroads
17th Mark Eisner Democrat
18th Mark Goldberg* Democrat Chairman of Judiciary
19th Thomas F. Denney Democrat died on November 26, 1913[7]
20th Patrick J. McGrath* Democrat Chairman of Codes
21st Thomas Kane Democrat
22nd Edward Weil* Democrat Chairman of Taxation and Retrenchment
23rd David Chester Lewis Democrat
24th Owen M. Kiernan Democrat
25th David H. Knott Democrat
26th Abraham Greenberg Democrat a Manager at the impeachment trial
27th Raymond B. Carver Democrat
28th Salvatore A. Cotillo Democrat
29th Charles J. Carroll Democrat
30th Louis A. Cuvillier* Democrat Chairman of Military Affairs
31st Michael Schaap Progressive Progressive Leader
32nd Louis D. Gibbs Democrat
33rd Thomas John Lane Democrat
34th Patrick Joseph McMahon Democrat a Manager at the impeachment trial
35th Ernest E. L. Hammer Democrat
Niagara 1st Frank Mead Bradley Republican
2nd Eugene A. McCollum Democrat
Oneida 1st Fred Frank Emden Democrat
2nd Herbert E. Allen* Republican
3rd John Brayton Fuller* Republican
Onondaga 1st Patrick J. Kelly Democrat
2nd Stephen Gay Daley Democrat
3rd Thomas K. Smith* Republican a Manager at the impeachment trial
Ontario Herman Ferdinand Schnirel Republican a Manager at the impeachment trial
Orange 1st Caleb H. Baumes* Republican
2nd William Thomas Doty Democrat Chairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills
Orleans Marc Wheeler Cole Democrat Chairman of Agriculture
Oswego Thaddeus C. Sweet* Republican
Otsego LaVerne P. Butts Democrat Chairman of Affairs of Villages
Putnam John R. Yale* Republican
Queens 1st Samuel J. Burden Democrat
2nd Alfred J. Kennedy* Democrat Chairman of Privileges and Elections; resigned on
May 12, to take office as Postmaster of Flushing
3rd Alfred C. Benninger Democrat
4th Howard Sutphin Democrat
Rensselaer 1st Charles Fred Schwarz* Democrat Chairman of Revision
2nd Tracey D. Taylor Democrat
Richmond Ralph R. McKee* Democrat Chairman of Public Education
Rockland Frederick George Grimme Democrat
St. Lawrence 1st Frank L. Seaker* Republican
2nd John A. Smith Republican
Saratoga Gilbert T. Seelye Republican
Schenectady Arthur Porter Squire Democrat
Schoharie Edward A. Dox Democrat
Schuyler John W. Gurnett* Democrat Chairman of Conservation
Seneca Augustus S. Hughes Democrat
Steuben 1st Charles A. Brewster Democrat Chairman of Soldiers' Home
2nd James L. Seely Jr. Democrat
Suffolk 1st Stephen A. Fallon Democrat
2nd John J. Robinson Democrat
Sullivan John K. Evans* Democrat Chairman of Internal Affairs
Tioga John G. Pembleton* Republican
Tompkins Minor McDaniels* Democrat Chairman of Public Health
Ulster 1st Lawrence M. Kenney Democrat
2nd Eldridge M. Gathright Democrat
Warren Henry E. H. Brereton* Republican
Washington Eugene R. Norton Republican
Wayne Albert Yeomans* Republican
Westchester 1st Tracy P. Madden* Democrat Chairman of Penal Institutions;
a Manager at the impeachment trial
2nd Verne Morgan Bovie Democrat
3rd Wilson Randolph Yard Democrat
4th Mortimer Charles O'Brien Democrat
Wyoming John Knight Republican
Yates Edward C. Gillett* Republican

Employees

  • Clerk: George R. Van Namee
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Lee F. Betts
  • Principal Doorkeeper: Charles Durham
  • First Assistant Doorkeeper: William Davis
  • Second Assistant Doorkeeper: John W. Doty
  • Stenographer: Martin Leach

Notes

  1. ^ DENOUNCE SULZER AS SESSION OPENS in NYT on June 17, 1913
  2. ^ TO INVESTIGATE ACTS OF SULZER in NYT on June 12, 1913
  3. ^ INDICTMENT IS PRESENTED in NYT on August 14, 1913
  4. ^ STORM OF DENIALS OF ARNOLD CHARGES in NYT on August 29, 1913
  5. ^ ALL GLYNN BILLS PASS IN A RUSH in NYT on December 13, 1913
  6. ^ OUSTS SALANT, MOOSER in NYT on April 30, 1913
  7. ^ "4 Killed, 5 Hurt, As Autos Collide". The New York Times. No. 20395. LXIII. November 26, 1913. pp. 1–2 – via Internet Archive.

Sources