Senator John H. Gear died in July 1900, Shaw was responsible for making an interim appointment to fill the seat. Connor was one of many Republicans who hoped Shaw would choose them to fill the vacancy, but Shaw instead chose Connor's congressman, Jonathan P. Dolliver, thus creating a new vacancy in the U.S. House.
The passing of Senator John H. Gear in July 1900 led to Shaw appointing an interim replacement. However, many Republicans, including Connor, had expected Shaw to select one of them for the position. Instead, Shaw chose Dolliver, a congressman and fellow Republican, which ultimately created another vacancy in the U.S. House.