The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-17
Must be an Inhabitant.

Inc point of vital interest to these
senatorial aSDirants is that while a
man, TO be eligible must be a citizen
Oh the United States, he need be but
an lnhabitant of the state. The dis
JUNCTION between the two is very clear.
WEBSTER defines an inhabitant to be
one VINO dwells or resides permanent
~ IN place. as distinguished from q
transient ledger or visitor" He need
not necessarily be a citizen or vooer.
Inc courts have made the same dis
tinction.
But history furnishes the best illus
uatlon as to what is meant by this
provision of the constitution, and what
view the senate itself takes of il.
In 1860 Colonel Edward Dickinson
Baker, who was afterward killed at
the battle of Balrs Bluff. removed
from California to Oregon Two
months later he was elected to the
United States senate from the latter
state, and his title to the seat was
never questioned.
How Others Got There.
General Adelbert Aimes, the son-in-
law OF General B.. F. Butler, who was
made COMMUNICATIVE of the Unit
ed States forces in Mississippi right af-
ter the civil war, was elected to the
united States senate from that state,
although he had never been a citizen.
Carl SchErz removed from Detroit,
Mich. to st. Louis, Mo-, in the recon-
structiOn days after the war, and was
elected to the senate from that state
before he had time TO gain citizenship.
A more recent instance is that of Lee
land Stanford. He removed from Cal
ltorria and established a residence IN
New York. A few months before his
election to the United States senate
from California, in an affidavit taking
a case from California to the supreme
court, he swore that he was a citizen
OF New York. The point was raised
against him at the time, and an effort
was made to defeat his election on the
grounds that he was not a citizen of
California. The effort failed and his
eligibility was not questioned after
ward.
There are other cases of d similar ma
ture, but those cited are sufficient to
establish a precedent True, the sens
ate has never been called upon to pass
upon this point in contest, but little
doubt exists as to what the decision
would be were a contest made
Utah as Stepping Stone.
When Orator Thomas Fitch located
IN Utah last spring and purchased a
nome IN Salt Lake it was stated that
ne was using Utah as a stepping stone
TO the United States senate. 1t was
also asserted at the time that this was
move on the part of the Republican
national committee to gain a senator
from this state, relying upon Mr.
tltch power as a Spell-binder TO cut
the people of the state loose from their
democratic mOorings. 1t appeared
then and still appears to be part of a
general scheme Of Hanna and his as
SOclateS TO entrench themselves in the
senate so firmly that even though the
presidency and house of representatives.
were swept by the Democrats, ali leg
lslatlon in favor of the people can still
be blocked
Color is given to the above view by
the statement lust made that Mr.
Fitch will this year confine his orator.
cal efforts to Utah alone, and will not
stump the entire nation for Mckinley
as ne did in 1896. Additional color is
given II by the way in which Former
Senator Brown was thrown down in
Philadelphia by Chairman Mark Han
ma. In the light of the announcement
that Mr.. Fitch is laying his plans to
go TO the senate, the action of Hanna
has the appearance of a scheme to re-
move Brown from the stage to clear
the way for Fitch.
But There Are Others.
There are other candidates fGr this
honor. who may. have something to saw
before the matter is finally settled.
Such men as Tom Kearns. o. J. Sails
bury, Governor Wells. Arthur L. Thorn
as and George @. Cannon are not the
men to sit idly by and see a newcomer
like Fitch walk off with such a prize
without an effort to stop him. AS