The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-24
ADMISSION OF SENATOR HILL.

Ii it be true that Senator 'BIl.Ln CHAM
LER, of New Hampshire, is taking steps t.
prevent Senator-elect HILL from ASSUMING
the duties to which he has been called il
the Congress of the nation, he will certain
~ De subject TO the ridicule, if not the con
Tempt, OF the nation. 1t is difficult to real
lie that he is willing to place himself in SC
unWarrantable an attitude though the
newspaper correspondents state with great
pcsluiVeness that such is his position.
Inc ground On which it is proposed te
deprive Senator HILL of his seat is that he
is holding the Office of governor OF
New York beyond the time OF
Uhemeeting of the Congress to which
Une legislature of New York elected
MN. But this is not the business of the
senate to know. There is nothing in the
United States constitution that declares a
prohloltlon against man holding office in
slate from being at the same time mem
pef Oh congress. In this case, it is well
KNOWN That Governor II ILLS term as gov
efhor does not expire till the 1st of Janu-
airy. 1t Is equally well known that other
senators will not be in their seats till after
vi any moment in either branch of Con-
gress before the standing committees get
10 work. Nothing, therefore, but spitefuI-
ness OF a personal nature or the desire to
lay mold of any pretext, however slight.
lof political purposes, could actuaue Sen
ator 10 insist, either as legal question or
one OF parliamentary discipline, upon a
coueague being where there is nothing for
MIN TO do, at the sacrifice of urgent duties
In another place.
ne provision of the constitution which
makes eacn house the Judge of the oualifi
cdUions and return of its own members
cannot be construed as giving arbitrary
power to majority to disfranchise state.
All the Senate can do when Governor HIM
presents himself at its bar to be sworn in
as member, Is to see that his certificate
OF election IS In due and legal form and
properly attested. 1t cannot 60 behind
this return. 1t connot, like an exactinp
schoolmaster, demand reasons for tardi
ness or lecture the delinquent fer lettering
on the way
among the precedents that may be pre-
sented In the case of Senator HILL. we re-
call one that, to our view, is apropos. In
1904, or 1906, LYMAN TRUMBULL, VINO had
Just resigned from the circuit bench. was
elected to Congress from one of the south
ern illinois districts, and a few months
later, on the assembling of the Legislature.
was elected United States Senator The
constitution of Illinois contained clause
That no Judge of the circuit court could be
eligible for any office during the term for
winch he was elected, or for one year
thereafter Judge TRUMBULLs case was
within this Inhibition, yet he was admitted
10 MS seat IN the Senate without contest.
and the gentleman who claimed the cleo
ZION In the lower house was rejected. Sen
a1or DOUGLAS, though of opposing politics,
upnelu the rights of TRUMBULL. declaring
that the legislature of Illinois had taken all
the responsibility in the case, and that the
Senate could not go back of the certificate of
tue secretary of state in order to make a
point which had not been considered bv
those who scould be presumed to know
the meaning of their own action.
In the admission of Governor HILL the |
democracy Will not be beholden to Senator
TELLER or Senator HoAR or Senator any,
BODY else. He will be admitted to what is
his own, and of which no scheming of such |
Inscriptions partisans as "B1Ln CHASp- |
LER to depose him will avail.