New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-04

bership in the fifth, or district with a three
ifths unrepresented ratio will have one member
for two consecutive terms and two members for
the next three
Under the sliding scale system the member
ship of the General Assembly varies slightly In
number from one two-year period to another: for
the meetings of the Legislature are now biennial.
In 1892 and 1894 there 81 members In the
Senate and 101 In the II use OF Representatives.
Next year there will be 81 Senators and ~ Repre-
sentatives. and in 1898 &c Senators and 109 Repre-
sentatives. As there are So counties In Ohio. 1t
will be seen that the general rule Of division ia
one membe of the lower house to each county.
There are five cases IN which two small counties
have beer Joined together % make Representa-
tive district. On the other hand. the Hamilton
County district, which includes Cincinnati sends
10 Representatives ano Senator'S TO Columbus;
while Cuyahoga County. which includes Cleve-
land. has Representatives and Senators.
OBSTACLES TO AN AMBITION.
fair idea of the obstacles to be overcome by
Mr. Brice in his campaign for the control Of the
next General Assembly easily be obtained
by glance at the results If the legislative cleo
tons OF 1891 and 1893 In 1884, the first year Of the
present apportonment. Mr.. Campbell. then a
candidate for Governor against Major Mckinley.
was beaten after hard struggle. by the COM
paratively small pluralitv of q 000 Yet the Leg
isature chosen at the same time was Republican
In both branches by a two-thirds majority. In
the senate the Repubilcans numbered Il ana tne
Democrats 10; while in the House there -
Republicans and 35 Democrats. Two years later.
when Governor McKinleys plurality in the State
to so. 900, the feeble Democratic minority
of the session before cut down almost one.
half. Only Senators and % Representatives
survived in the general crash of party fortunes
which Democratic folly and incompetency at
Washington had made inevitable.
THE SIZE OF MR. BRICEs TASK.
To secure his re-election Mr.. Brice's nominees
will have to carry next Tuesday at least seventeen
seats in the Senate and nfty-eight in the House Of
Representatives. This will mean gain over 1891
OF seven votes in one branch and twenty three In
the other. OF the six Senators added to the
roll this year four to be chosen In strongly Re-
publican districts and two in slightly Democrats
onea Allowing Mr. Brice the ten seats held by
Democratic Senators at the session OF lS"Z, MS
normal strength in the next Senate can scarcely
be expected to rise above twelve or thirteen votes
The five additional seats r. the House nave an
gone TO strongly Republican counties. SO that
starting with the thirty-fve Democratic votes
available in 1892 Mr.. Brice Will have to gain no
less than twenty-seven votes in what nave mere
tofore been considered safoy Republican legs-
lative districts Should he carry both Hamilton
and Cuyahoga counties-a wildly extraVagant
suppostiOn under present political conditions-ne
would st! be short of hii necessary majority
Any change, indeed, In popular sentiment eX-
traordinary enough TO yield a Democratic major
ity joint ballot in the next Assembly would
involve the defeat Of General Bushnell and the
Republican State ticket by frnm 10000 to 3o.OOo
plurality. With all due allowance for the eject
iveness Of Mr. Brice's still hunt" political meth
ods and for all the dissatisfaction. whatever II
may amount to. which is said to exist because OF
NAV be said with confidence. almost with GER
tanty, that Mr. Brice Will rot be able To- muster
more than fifty to ifty-fve votes. all told In the
next General Assembly.