Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-12-09

Over in the house members draw for seats. A
man just elected is as likely to get a frst-class
seat as a man who has been in the service of the
house Tor years. The, leader Of the majority and
the leader Of the minority and the Oldest mem
Der In point of service in the hall are allowed to
eelect their own seats. After they have made
their choice all is a lottery. In the senate the
thlng 1s different. A newly elected member of
the upper house takes such a seat as he can find
vacant, and his first duty to himself is to file"
on the seat of some other member so that he may
get 1t when the other member dies or retires.
At times there are five or six filings" for tho
same seat. For instance, if some senator has .
choice seat and he is aged and in the ordinary
course OF things may be expected to die soon. his
seat is certain to be in request by several sena-
tors provided that those lower on the list of ap-
plicants think that those above them like the
holder of the seat himself, are likely to die, or
to be retired quickly from the service by their
constituents.
Some of the old senators do not like the way
in which the younger members file for their
seats. Then there are some senators who are
not old who do not like to feel that others think
that their seats soon are to be vacated. When
a senator in the prime of life finds that his seat
has been filed" on he takes it as an intimation
that the senator who does the filing thinks that
the seats occupant is nearing the end of his
tether because his state has disapproved of his
services, or that the political party opposing the
one of which he is a member is likely soon to
become in the ascendant.
Senator Dolliver, who died recently, had one Of
III UoSC seats Ill liz cid udllUG h CO1H-
handing place from which he could always catch
the eye of the presiding officer. The Iowan's
successor in the senate will not get his ]predeces-
sor's seat, for Notwithstanding the fact that Mr..
Dolliver was apparently in good health and was
only fifty-two years old, there were three appli-
cations on file for his seat when he should va
cate it. OF course it must be understood that
the seats of the Republicans and those of the
Democrats are separated and that no man of one
party ever files an application for the seat of q
man Of the other party.
Senator Beveridge of Indiana was in the upper
house for years before he succeeded in getting q
Iseat to his liking. Early in his service he had
filed an application for the seat occupied by
Senator Spooner of Wisconsin, a vigorous man
with apparently a long lease Of earthly and sena-
'torial life ahead of him. Unexpectedly Senator
'Spooner resigned, and Beveridge moved to what
lis perhaps the best seat in the house, one on the
middle aisle midway between the front and rear
of the chamber.
Elihu Root, who is accounted one of the fore
most men In the upper house in point of ability,
lis obliged to sit in what is known as the "Chero-
lkee Strip" There are so many Republicans in
the present senate that they more than fill the
the center aisle. There are not enough Demo-
Gratis to fill the seats allotted to them. The va
cant Democratic seats are away around near the
wall to the extreme right of the vice-president,
who has to turn his head to see the seats of tho
occupants. In this Cherokee Strip sits thu
Overflow" Republicans and one Of them is Elibu
Root.
Before the new senate office building was
completed it was the effort. OF the senate to pro-
vide a separate room in the Capitol for each SEN
ator. All of these rooms we're called committee