Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-19
mi web slStToRs.
some Interesting Points for Their Con
sfderatfon.

Some ,Interssting Points for Their Con-
sideration.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean: There is
one fact connected with The senator's from
The new states to y hich little attention has
been paid; yet it is a subject Of great in
terest to the candidates for the United
States senate in those states. 1t probably
is not generally remembered. il it is known,
that under existing circumstances, it 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 q tell what the
length of his term Of office will he until ne
shall have raised his hand in the presence
OF the United States senate to be sworn IN.
This element Of hazard may lend an addi-
tional interest to the contests which are
proceeding in the new states for the 81 ats IN
the United States senate. The constitution
Of the United States (under article /, sec.
ton g., clause p makes a provision al to
the classification Of senator's which creates
this doubt as to the terms OF office OF
the senator's from the new states. In mat
article it is provided that Immediately
after they UNITED States senators) shall
be assembled in consequence OF the first
election they shall be divided as equally as
may be into three classes. The seats OF the
senators OF the fret-class shall be vacated
at the expiration OF the second year, OF the
second class at the expiration OF the fourth
year, and OF the third class at the expira-
ton of the sixth ear, so that one-thlrd
may be chosen every second year." The
classification OF the senators OF the first
congress was made in accordance with this
provision by lot. What will 9 the fate or
the luck of the senator's from thenew states
next n Der? There can be no general
classification by lot, for it will be necessary
for the senate to distribute the Few sena-
tors according to the existing classified
ton. In class one there are twenty-five
senators whose terms will expire March 4,
1898. In class two there are twenty-six
senators whose terms will expire March 4,
1896. 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 % senator's. When the eight
new senator's shall be added to the exiS ting
76, there will be "a members of the senate,
who will be equally distributed into the
three constitutional classes. Now If the
senators from only one of the new states
shallappear here to be sworn in on the
first Monday in December. those two sena-
tors will he distributed in the first and
third classes.
The second class now having 26 mem.
bers, and the first and third classes having
only 25 members respectively, the first two
senator's who present themselves, if they
come alone, will be assigned, the one to the
first class, the terms OF which will expire in
1898; the other to the third class, the
terms of which will expire in 1891. And
so far as can be Judged by the most ex-
rerienced parliamentarians about the sen
ate, it will not be possible either for any
new state or for the senators chosen to de.
termine which of the senators shall have
the longest term. 1t would appear that
the matter will have to be determined by
lot in the senate here. If only one state
shall present it's two senators at the begin
ming of the congress neither one of the SEN
ators can have a ter m OF six years. 1t will
be necessary to assign them so that the
classes one and three shall each nave 25
members, and thus be equalized with the
second class, which already has 26 sena-
tors. One of these senators could, there.
only two years while the term of
the other would be two years
longer, expiring March 4, 1898. If, how
ever, the eight senator's from the
new states should be presented at once in
December or January next the conditions
would be different 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 the eight senator's from the new states
might happen hat the senators from the
same state might draw terms of the same
taRg sehE Es' abd l. m f 2E5Istf5n t 81 t tee s pgagge 81 81
least, Of the provision Of the constitution
In question. What action will be taken it
Will De Tor the wise men of the senate to de.
termlne. Ii it should happen that the SEN
ators from Montana should be Democratic,
additional interest would be given to their
to the classes. The dominant
majority in the senate would be quite will
ling that the Democratic senator's, if there
are any, be assigned to the classes which
haVe only the two and four year terms re.
spectlvely. The Democrats, o., the other
hand, would be very anxious that those
senators should be put in the four and six
year classes respectively. There is no
constitutional provision, and it ia not
known that there is any law which bro.
Vides for such a contingency. The only fact |
nlch seems assured is that none of the
'enators from the new states can be GER
Jain when elected whether their term will
lor two. four or six years, provided all
u the states shall send their senator's at
'nce. 1t is clear, however, that if the sena.
.ors from only one state shall present their
redentlals and ask to be sworn in alone at
he beginning OF the congress, those sena.
ors Will he assigned to the first and third
lasses respectively, and hold their terms
or Two and four years respectively. In
nat event it will be necessary to assign
hree senators to class one and class three
ach, n two to class two, making twenty.
'ght~ senators in each class. Three of the
ew states will be compelled to c%ontent
with one senator each, whose
will expire March 4, 1891. And nj
ne entire eight new senator's there are onlv
20 whose terms will be for six wears
hey are the senator's who will be ASSIGNED
the second class. The other six " Iii he
to classes one and three The
aspirants for the United States
nate in the new states may find some.
ing to think about in this forgotten con- 1
provision. n