, 1889-10-17
HERE'S A HOWD'YEDO.
The Senators From the New States
and the Duration of Their
Different Terms.
A Question That Is Puzzling the
Parliamentarians at Wash
ington.

senators from the new states 10 Wnlcn
little attention has been paid; yet 1t is "a
subject of great interest to the candi-
dates for the United States senate in
these states. Itprobably is not general
ly remembered, If it ~ known, that un-
der existing circumstances 1t will not be
possible for the legislatures of these
states to determine the length of the
term OF Office of the senators whom they
may elect, and that neither of the two
senators whom they may elect can tell
what the length of his term of office will
be until he shall have raised his hand
in the presence of the United States sem
ate to be sworn in. This element of
hazard may lend an additional interest
to the contests which arc proceeding in
the new states for the seats In the
United States senate.
The constitution of the United States
(under article L., section 3, clause y
makes q provision as to the classification
of senators which creates this
doubt as to the terms of office
of the senators from the new states.
In that article it Is provided that
Immediately after they United States
senatorsl shall be assembled in conse-
quence of the first election they shall be
divided as equally as may be into three
classes. The seats of the senators of the
first class shall be vacated at the expira-
ton of the second year, of the second
class at the expiration of the fourth year,
and the third class at the expiration Of
the sixth year. so that one-third may be
chosen every second year" The class-
tication of the senators of the first con-
gress was made in accordance with this
| provision by lot. What will be the fate
or the luck Of the senator's from the new
states next Decembcrp There can be no
general classification by lot, for II will be
necessary for tho senate to distribute the
| new senators according to the existing
classification. The classification now
stands as follows: In class one there
are twenty-five senators whose terms
will expire March A. 1893. In class two
| terms will expire March A. 1895. In class
three there are twenty-five senators
whose terms will expire March 4, 1891.
Ultimately the eight senators from the
new states will be equally divided among
these three classes, when each class will
consist of twenty eight senators. When
| the eight new senators shall be added to
the existing seventy-six there will be
eight -four members of the senate who
will he equally distributed into the three
constitutional classes. Now il the SON
ators from only one of the new states
shall appear here to be sworn In ON the
first Monday in December these two
senators will be distributed in the first
and third classes. The senators from the
| state N rsa "a tyuya in 1i flor.
ent classes, so that their terms of office
shall expire two years apart. Mr. Gull
lom is in the second class and Mr.. Far
well in the third class. The second
class now having twenty-six members,
and the first and third classes having
only Twenty-Five members respectively,
the first two senators who present them
selves, II they come Alone will be as
signed, the one to the first class, the
terms of which will expire in 1893; the
other to the third class, the terms
of which will expire in 1891. And SO far
as can be Judged by the most expert
enced parliamentarians about the senate,
1t will not be possible either for any new
state or for the senators chosen to deter
mine which of the senators shall haye
the longest term. 1t would appear that
the matter will have to he determined
by lot in the senate here. If only one
state shall present its two senator's at the
beginning of the congress neither one Of
the senators can have term of six
years 1t will be necessary to assign
them so that the classes one and three
shall each have twenty-siX members,
and thus be equalized with the second
class which already has twenty-siX sem
utors. One of these senator's could,
therefore, only serve until March 4.
1891, or only two years, while the term
of the other would be two years longer
expiring March !, 1893. If however, the
eight senators from the new states should
be presented ut once in December or jan
uary next, the conditions would be diff
ferent from what they have been, except
In the first congress. Then all were of
course present at the beginning, and
their relative terms were determined by
lot.
At no time since the first congress has
more than one state been admitted at
one time. 1t will not be practicable for
all of tho eight senators from the new
states to draw lots among them
selves, for it might happen that the
senator's from the same state might
contrary to the usage OF the senate and
in violation of the spirit, at least of the
provision of tho constitution in
question. What action will be taken it
will be Tor the wise men of the senate
to decide.
Ifit should happen that the senators
from Montana should be democratic,
their assignment to the classes. The
dominant majority in the senate
would naturally be quite willing that
the democrats, II there are any, should
; be assigned to the classes which have
! only the two and four year terms re-
! spectively. The democrats ON the
other hand, would be very anxious that
| M shnnII hp In, hn 90, -
and six year classes respectively. There
is no constitutional provision and it is
not known that there Is any law which
provides for such contingency. The
only fact which seems assured is that
none of the senators from the new states
can be certain when elected whether
their term will be for two, four or six
years, provided all the states shall send
their sena' ors at once. 1t is clear, how
ever, that If the senators from only one
state shall present their credentials and
ask to be sworn in alone ut tho begin
ming of the congress, those senator's will
be assigned to the first and third classes
respcctively,a and hold their terms for two
and four years respectively. In that
event it will be necessary to assign
three senators to class one and class three
each, and two to class two, making
twenty-eight senator's In each class.
Three OF the new states will be COM
PEELED to content themselves with one
senator each whose terms will expire
March 4, 1901. And of the entire eight
new senators three are only two whose
terms will be for six years. They are
the senators who will be assigned to the
second class. The other six will be as
signed to classes one and three. The nu-
merous aspirants for the United States
senate in the new states may find some
thing to think, about in this forgotten
constitutional provision.
THE NEGRO QUESTION.