New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-02
TODAY ~ ONO AND MARYLAND.

Interest in tOday's elections, apart from our
own absorbing municipal struggle centres
chiefly in the legislative contests In ohlo anu
Maryland-States whose choice OF senators
next January Is likely to have an Important
influence in determining the political compleA'
ion OF the United States Senate after March =,
1899 Republican victory in ooth States VIII
he accepted as guaranteeing RepublCan con'roi
of the deberative branch during the LN'h
| Congress: Democratic success In one or DOM
| commemorative will leave the question or SUI
premacy still somewhat clouded. The methods
of apI,ortionment followed in the two states
coupled with the comparatively small size OF
their lawmakng bodies. encourage violent
fnctuati tons of party strength in both Legs
latures and add many puzzling elements OF I'M
| certainty to each successive Senatorial cam
pagn.
In Ohio the total membership of the two
branches of the General Assembly varies be-
tween 13S and 80 Al present II stands at
| 49, The Representatives numbering IL ana
the Senators 81. The State is not apporfoned
| into uniform legislative districts. On the con-
! frarv the divisions erected differ glaringly In
| size and population one district sending
| single lawmakor 10 Columbus and another as
many as fourteen. As In the more populous
districts both Senators and Representatives are
elected on n general ticket. the result in Few
| OF the larger counties has invariably solved the
| question OF legislative control. The four coun-
| ties OF Hamilton. Cuyahoga. Lucas and Frank
| lin I'm which the cities of Cincinnati, Cleve-
| land, Toledo and Colu are situated. send
| over thirty members 10 the two branches OF
| the legislature and as the rest OF the state
is pretty evenly divided politically the four
counties named above hold N Columbus n Writ
| ua balance Of power In 1891. when the Re-
pubcans carried Hamilton, CuyahOga and
| Lucas and lost Franklin. the party plurality In
| the Legislature was 4S In the Republican
| tidal waves of 1893 and 1895. when all four
| counties were Republican. the Legislative plu-
rality rose first 10 - and then 10 ~. This year,
| however. under more normal political condi-
| iions. the assured Democratic vote in the Leg
| islaturc cannot we'll be put below 10, and the
capture of the four large centres of population
| lay the Democratic managers would probably
| mean the shifting of power AT Columbus next
| january to their hands. In Hamilton. Franklin
| and Lucas counties local issues have greatly
| imperilIcd Republican success. but the State
| Committee still seems confident Of holding
| Cuyahoga and Of retaining small plurality in
each branch Of the Legislature.
The General Assembly of Maryland consists
| Of III membcrs ~ In the Senate and 81 In
| the House of Delegates As in ohio, both
| Senators and Delegates are chosen 10y counties
on general tickets. baltimore City. however.
bong cut into three legislative districts. which
send : representatives apiece 10 Annapolis.
The Republicans start this year with n decided
advantage" in that they hnve . holdovor Sena-
tors agans, for the opposition, and can count
with apparent confidence on the election of
~ additional Senators and Delegates from safe
Republican counties. ON the other hand. Mr..
German can foot up only ~ votes from surely
Democratic counties. leaving ~ In all 10 he
fought for In to-day's contest OF these 10 are
In Baltimore City and County; 50 that IL the
Republicans can repeat their clean sweep Of
1895 and 1896 in the metropolis Of the State
they will need but one additional vote TO secure
4 majority in the legislative joint assembly
next January. Moreover the other 81 votes
classed as doubtful come without exception
from counties which Governor Lowndes carried
rie1 by even larger majoriries last fall. Balti-
more will be the real pivot of the MARYLAND
night rs the four cities Of Cincinnati Cleve-
| land. Toledo anil Columbus will dominate tho
struggle in Ohio Widely different interests
and ISSUES are involved in the two contests;
yet there Is good ground 10 hope that both will
disclose the same continued drift Of popular
opinion toward Republican leadership and Re
publican policies.