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The current article says that Hayward was elected March 8, 1899 to fill the term which began March 4, 1899 due to the legislature being deadlocked over the choice of a Senator. That makes sense; this occurred quite frequently and was one of several reasons given for the proposal and eventual ratification of the 17th Amendment as states often went for months or even years with reduced representation in the Senate due to legislative delays. However, it seems unlikely that he never "qualified" for the seat; this implies that he was never sworn in and seated. His death was not until December 1899. For this to have been true, what was the problem? There were railroads in Nebraska well prior to 1899 (at least 30 years) so Washington, D.C. was fairly accessible. Was Hayward's health already so poor as to preclude travel? If so, was he ever really a U.S. Senator from Nebraska? Rlquall22:32, 9 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This remains unclear, but all of the archives I have read through suggest he never filled the seat formally. (Going to DC.) He is referred to sometimes as "Senator-elect," so I determined that he didn't, and have since added that info. DoomLexus (talk) 00:29, 23 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, I found a way better archival source than the one I initially used. He never swore in, which answers this 14 year-old question. The source says he was not a "member of that body", which I take to mean he was not technically a Senator. DoomLexus (talk) 00:45, 23 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]
