The times., 1898-12-30
CURIOUS SENATE CUSTOM ]
How the Statesmen Work to
Obtain Desirable Seats.
FILE CLAIMS IN ADVANCE
of Transfers of Seats
which Have Become Historic
Shrewd Guesses of Politician
Senator COnklins's Desk and It's
Many Changes-Rengan's Ill Luck.

The announcement that Senator Chand-
Ter filed ON the seat Of the late Senator
Morrill, several years ago., brings up a
somewhat curious Custom in that body
Seats in the Senate are not awarded by
lot at the beginning of each session. as
they are in the House, but are retained
from year TO year by their occupants.
Hence new Senator is sure to get COM
paratively poor seat which he must retain
until better one becomes vacant.
The result Is that as soon as senator
gets settled in his seat he looks around
for some colleague who is unlikely to be
reelected and files with the sergeant-at-
arms a request for the seat when it be-
comes vacant. If its occupant is re-elect-
ed, the claimant gets left and must seek
for another seat
A great many interesting stories are told
of the alertness OF the senators to file
claims for particularly choice seats That
of Senator Gear. for instance, has re-
peatedly been spoken for and transferred
through shrewd guess of the man who
won 1t. Years ago il was occupied by
Senator Conkling. who resigned on account
of his quarrel with President Garfield.
No one hid filed on his seat, and he
asked Senator Cameron to hold it for
him for a couple of days" till he could
run up to Albany and secure reelection.
But he did not secure 1t and Cameron
kept the seat. long time afterwards.
while in the west, Cameron confided 10
Dawes, of Massachusetts, that he should
not ask reelection. Dawes at once tele-
graphed to Capt. Bassett. who was then
alive, to reserve the desk for him and
thus finally came to possess it. Next Du-
bois succeeded TO it by some guess whose
particulars are not known, and held it
when he walked out of the st. Louis con-
yention with Senator Teller. Then Gear
remarked that Duboiss political career
was ended and telegraphed for the seat.
Sure enough, he succeeded to 1t in due
time.
Senator Reagan, OF Texas. who wants TO
come back after some years of retirement,
| is ''hoodoo' in the matter Of seats He
| used to have a great way of changing
around. and taking the seat of any senator
who was temporarily i'll at home.
| A good many OF these colleagues died
during his term and 1t got to be said that
| their deaths were due TO Reagan's occupy
| ing their chairs. Hence one day when
| Vance was i'll he wrote to Senator Pasco
begging him pathetically:
For Gods sake, don't let old Reagan
| get my chair"
Mr.. Vance's chair was removed bodily
| from the Senate chamber.
Another instance of a change of desks Is
rather funny as showing the estimation
| in which some OF the older senators held
| the civil service law when first passed
| Senator Pendleton, Democrat, of Ohio. was
the author of the act which was passed b,
| Republicans aided by few Democrats. ant
he was defeated for reelection by Henry
| B. Payne.
Just before 1t passed Mr. Cockrell moved
| that the title be changed to read, "a bill
to retain Republicans In Office" and Mr.
| Vest at once filed on Pendleton's seat
stating that the author of such bill coulC
never be reelected.
| A year or so ago. Messrs. Vest ant
Berry swapped seats, thus bringing each o.
them next TO their colleagues. Messrs
| Cockrell and Jones, most convenient
thing. but rather rare in the Senate. The
Massachusetts and the Iowa senators ST
| together, but these are the only ones be
| sides Missouri and Arkansas.
One curious thing is that when a senate
changes his seat, he does not change hi
desk or chair. but merely their position
He takes the desk and chair with him
Thus Senator Morrill, has had the sam,
chair through all his thirty years.
Records of the possessors of each desl
are now kept. but the records only dat,
back to the war, and no one now livin.
knows which was occupied BY the grea
men of the past. When Hannibal Hamlil
retired he secured permission to take hi
chair with him, but since then no one ha
been permitted to do so, because of the in
creased historic interest that inure
through their retention.
A score of years ago lot of furnitur
worn out by long use was permanently re
tired from the cloak rooms. There was
great demand for this by lovers of relics
and much pressure was brought to bear t
secure them. large prices being offered
Finally the Senate passed a resolution Civ
ing them to a hospital which could raffi
them of and apply the money to its main
tenance.
The next day two ladies hurried out t
the hospital prepared to bid almost an
amount against each other for certain ar
ticles. They were informed by the matter
of-fact janitor that he had chopped ther
all UP for kindling' on the night before.