The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-02
They ALWAYS WATCH OUT
Senators Who Keep a Constant
Eye on the Best Seats.
HOW THEY CHANGE PLACES
Some Seats Are Considered to Be Bet
ter Than Others and Every Man
Is Out for the Best
He Can Get.

Washington, March 2S.--The an
nouncement that Senator Chandler filed
a claim to 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
comparatively poor seat, which he must
retain until better one becomes va
cant.
The result is that as soon as a senator
gets settled in his seat he looks around
for some colleague who is unlikely to
be reelected and flies with the ser
geant at arms a request for the seat
when it becomes vacant If it's occupant
is reelected the claimant gets left and
must seek for another seat.
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
repeatedly been spoken for and trans
ferred through shrewd guess of the
man who won it. Years ago it was oc-
cupied by Senator Conkling, who re-
signed on account of his quarrel with
President Garfield.
No one had 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 a re-elec-
ton. But. he did not secure it and
Cameron kept the seat.
A long time afterWard while in the
West, Cameron confided to Dawes of
Massachusetts that he Should not ask
reelection. Dawes at once telegraphed
to Captain Bassett to reserve the desk
for him, and thus finally came to pos
sess it. Next Dubois succeeded to it by
some guess. the particulars of which
are not known, and held it when he
walked out of the st. Louis convention
with Senator Teller. Then Gear re-
marked that Dubois political career
was ended and telegra phed for the seat
Sure enough he succeeded to it in due
time.
Senator Reagan of Texas, who wants
to come back after some years of re-
tirement is a 'hoodoo' in the matter of
seats. He used to have great way of
changing around, taking the seat of
any senator who was temporarily i'll at
home.
A good many of these colleagues died
during his term and it got to be said
that their deaths were due to Reagan's
occupying their chairs. Hence one day
when Vance was i'll he wrote to Sena-
tor Pasco, begging him pathetically:
For Gods sake, don't let old Reagan
get my chair"
Mr.. Vance's chair was removed bodi-
ly from the senate chamber.
Another instance of a change of desks
is rather funny as showing the estima-
tion in which some of the older senators
held the civil service law when first
passed. Senator Pendleton, dem. of
Ohio was the author of the act which
was passed by republicans, aided by a
few democrats, and he was defeated for
reelection by Henry B. Payne.
Just before the bill passed Mr.. Cock
rell moved that the title be changed to
read, "A bill to retain republicans in
Office" and Mr.. Vest at once filed on
Pendletons seat, stating that the au-
thor of such bill could never be re-
elected.
A year or so ago Messrs. Vest and
Berry snapped seats, thus bringing
each of them next to their colleagues,
Messrs. Cockrell and Jones, a most con-
Venient thing, but rather rare in the
senate. The Massachusetts and the
Iowa senators sit together, but these
are the only ones besides Missouri and
Arkansas.
One curious thing is that when SEN
atOF cndllSGS his seat Lc uoSS lIul
change his desk or chair, but merely
their position. He takes the desk and
chair with him. Thus Senator Morrill,
had the same chair through all his so
years.
Records of the possessors of each desk
are now kept. but the records only date
back to the war, and no one now living
knows which was occupied by the great
men of the past. When Hannibal Ham
lin retired he secured permission to take
his chair with him, but since then no
one has been permitted to do so, be-
cause of the increased historic interest
that inures through their retention.
A score of years ago lot of furniture
worn out by long use was permanently
retired from the cloak rooms. There
was a great demand for this by lovers
of relics, and much pressure was
prices being offered. Finally the senate
passed resolution giving them to a
hospital which could rattle them off and
apply the money to it's maintenance
The next day two ladies hurried out
to the hospital prepared to bid almost
any amount against each other for GER
tain articles. They were informed by
the matter-of- fact janitor that he had
chopped them all up for kindling" on
the night before.
1t Belongs to Him.