141st New York State Legislature


The 141st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to April 13, 1918, during the fourth year of Charles S. Whitman's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1917, 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, Kings County, Erie County and Monroe County. The Assembly districts were made up of contiguous area, all within the same county.
In 1917, the Legislature redistricted the Senate seats, and re-apportioned the number of assemblymen per county. Bronx County—which had been part of New York County at the time of the previous apportionment and occupied roughly the area of four Assembly districts—was properly separated, and was apportioned eight seats. New York County lost eight seats; and Erie, Jefferson and Ulster counties lost one seat each. Queens County gained two seats; and Broome, Nassau, Richmond, Schenectady and Westchester counties gained one seat each.
At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Socialist Party and the Prohibition Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

The New York state election, 1917, was held on November 6. The three statewide elective offices up for election were carried by the three incumbents: Attorney General Merton E. Lewis and two cross-endorsed judges of the New York Court of Appeals, viz. Democrat Benjamin N. Cardozo and Republican Chester B. McLaughlin. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Attorney General, was: Republicans 697,000; Democrats 542,000; Socialists 169,000 and Prohibition 26,000.
Also, a constitutional amendment was adopted by the voters, which gave women the right to vote.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 2, 1918; and adjourned on April 13.
Thaddeus C. Sweet was re-elected Speaker, with 88 votes against 33 for Charles D. Donohue and 9 for Abraham I. Shiplacoff.

State Senate

Districts

Note: The senators had been elected to a two-year term in November 1916 under the 1907 apportionment, as stated below. Although the Legislature re-apportioned the Senate districts in 1917, the first senatorial election under the new apportionment occurred in November 1918.

Members

The asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature.
Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..."
DistrictSenatorPartyNotes
1stGeorge L. Thompson*Republican
2ndAugust E. FarrenkopfDemocratelected to fill vacancy, in place of Peter M. Daly
3rdThomas H. Cullen*Democraton November 5, 1918, elected to the 66th U.S. Congress
4thCharles C. Lockwood*RepublicanChairman of Public Education
5th*Democratdid not attend the session, and resigned on January 1 to
accept an appointment as Deputy Clerk of Kings County
6thCharles F. Murphy*Republican
7thDaniel J. Carroll*Democrat
8thAlvah W. Burlingame, Jr.*RepublicanChairman of Revision
9thRobert R. Lawson*RepublicanChairman of Printed and Engrossed Bill
10thAlfred J. Gilchrist*RepublicanChairman of Commerce and Navigation
11thBernard Downing*Democrat
12thJacob Koenig*Democrat
13thJimmy Walker*Democrat
14thJames A. Foley*Democrat
15thJohn J. Boylan*Democrat
16thRobert F. Wagner*DemocratMinority Leader; on November 5, 1918, elected
to the New York Supreme Court
17thCourtlandt NicollRepublicanelected to fill vacancy, in place of Ogden L. Mills;
Chairman of Penal Institutions
18thAlbert Ottinger*Republican
19thEdward J. Dowling*Democrat
20thSalvatore A. Cotillo*Democrat
21stJohn J. Dunnigan*Democrat
22ndJohn V. Sheridan*Democrat
23rdGeorge Cromwell*RepublicanChairman of Affairs of the City of New York
24thGeorge A. Slater*Republicanon November 5, 1918, elected Surrogate of Westchester Co.
25thJohn D. Stivers*RepublicanChairman of Military Affairs
26thJames E. Towner*RepublicanChairman of Insurance
27thCharles W. Walton*RepublicanChairman of Conservation
28thHenry M. Sage*RepublicanChairman of Finance
29thGeorge B. Wellington*RepublicanChairman of Canals
30thGeorge H. Whitney*RepublicanChairman of Public Health
31stJames W. Yelverton*Republican
32ndTheodore Douglas Robinson*Republican
33rdJames A. Emerson*RepublicanChairman of Taxation and Retrenchment
34thN. Monroe Marshall*RepublicanChairman of Banks
35thElon R. Brown*RepublicanTemporary President; Chairman of Rules;
Chairman of War Measures
36thCharles W. Wicks*RepublicanChairman of Agriculture
37thAdon P. Brown*Republican
38thJ. Henry Walters*RepublicanChairman of Judiciary
39thWilliam H. Hill*Republicanon November 5, 1918, elected to the 66th U.S. Congress
40thCharles J. Hewitt*RepublicanChairman of Internal Affairs of Towns,
Counties and Public Highways
41stMorris S. Halliday*RepublicanChairman of Privileges and Elections;
resigned on March 1 to join the U.S. Army Signal Corps
42ndWilliam A. Carson*RepublicanChairman of Labor and Industry
43rdCharles D. Newton*RepublicanChairman of Codes;
on November 5, 1918, elected New York Attorney General
44thJohn Knight*RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Villages
45thGeorge F. Argetsinger*RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Cities
46thJohn B. Mullan*RepublicanChairman of Civil Service
47thGeorge F. Thompson*RepublicanChairman of Public Service
48thRoss Graves*Republican
49thSamuel J. Ramsperger*Democrat
50thLeonard W. H. Gibbs*RepublicanChairman of Public Printing
51stJ. Samuel FowlerRepublicanelected to fill vacancy, in place of George E. Spring

Employees

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

Assemblymen

Employees