The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-12-09

over in the house members draw for seats. A
man just elected Is as likely to get frst-cass
seat as man who has been in the service of the
house for years The leader Of the ajority and
the leader of the minority and the Oldest mem
Der in point of service in the hall are allowed to
select their seats. After they have made
their choice all is a lottery. In the senate the
thing is different newly elected member of
the upper house takes such seat he find
vacant and his first duty to himself is to file"
on the seat Of some other member that he may
get 1t when the other member dies or retires.
At times there are five six filings" for the
same seat. For instance, il 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
tors provided that those lower on the list Of ap-
pcants 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.
Sonic 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 cid 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 he takes it intimation
that the senator who does the filing thinks that
the seats occupant is nearing the end of his
tethcr because his state has disapproved of his
services, that the political party opposing the
one of which he is member is likely to
become in the ascendant
Senator Dolliyer. who died recently. had one Of
the best seats in the senate chamber
handing place from which he could always catch
the eye of the presiding officer. The 1owans
successor in the senate will not get his prcdeces-
sOr's seat for notwithstanding the fact that Mr..
Dolliver apparently in good health and was
only fifty-tWO years old. there were three appll-
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
party ever files application for the seat of
man of the other party.
Senator Beveridge of Indiana was in the upper
house for years before he succeeded in getting
seat 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 long lease Of earthly and sena-
torial life ahead of him. Unexpectedly Senator
Spooner resigned and Beverage moved to what
is perhaps the best seat in the house, on the
Of the chamber.
Elihu Root, who is accounted of the fore
most men in the upper house in point of ability,
is obliged to sit in what is known the "Chero-
kee Strip" There are many Republicans in
the present senate that they more than fill the
seats allotted to the majority on the left side Of
the center aisle There are not enough Demo-
Gratis to fill the seats allotted to them. The
cant Democratic seats are away around near the
wall to the extreme right of the vice-president,
who has to turn his head 70 see the seats of the
occupants In this Cherokee Strip" sits the
overflow" Republicans and one of them is Elihu
Root.
Before the new senate office building
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 ca'!ed committee