The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-19
SUNDAY. JANUARY 10, 1890.
REMEDY FOR 4 sENATORIAL PLU-
TOCRACY.

REMEDY FOR 4 SENATORIAL PLU-
TOCRACY.
No one fact illustrates more distinctly
the evil growth Of the power and grasp
ing ambition Of plutocracy in this
country than the number Of millionaires
in the United States Senate, men who
are not content to enjoy the mere dis
tinction Of having made, or Of possessing
enormous private fortunes, but who
must add 10 the weight Of their personal
reputation, the prestige Of high Official
position in political lite. A majority Of
these wealthy Senators are political
nonentities, however eagaciOus in bust
ness and financial operations. As the
worship Of money increases in this
country, and it already prevails to a
degree that has no precedent in the
history Of the world, the number OF
these millionaire Senators must also in
crease. With few exceptions they now
come from the Northern States, but ss
the Southern expand in prosperity there
Will be O legislative inclination in this
section to confer Senatorial honors upon
men who are distinguished for their
great financial and money making ca
pacity.
An aiistocIacy being an imposclbility
in Republic. the tendency Of Repubh
can institutions is to produce a plutoc-
racy in its place. The time must come
when the United States Senate will be
made up almost exclusively Of million
aires, not only because they will be
able to purchase their seats either by
The direct or indirect use Of money,
but also because the self-z=ade million
aire will appear to the aversgs legI'ls'
lure the most representative man IN bis
Commonwealth, each legislature, in
fact, being but reflection on smallsr
scale OF the United State Senate. IL
the present character Of the personal
composition Of the National Senate il
far removed from the spirit OF the peo-
plo at large, il must inevitably become
more 90 with the progress Of time. I'm
less some means are devised 70 prevent
it. that body will soon be an assembly
OF plutocrats without Claim to popular
consideration apart from their wealth.
and without any sympathy with the
needs Of the great mass Of citizsns.
Are there any practical means Of
maintaining the representative charac-
ter Of the Senate upon as permanent
ana true a basis as that upon which the
membership Of the lower House standsr
There is only one method of accom-
ulisning this end Under the terms OF
the constitution Of the United States,
the Senators are selected by their re-
spcctive State Legislatures, but the Con
stitution should be amended in this re-
.spect, throwing upon the whole people
OF each State the duty Of electing their
Senator's directly, just as they now do
their Congressman. The theory is that
the Senators represent the States, but
this is mere theory which should have
noiuiluence. They represent, or should
represent, the people. They are the
servants Of the people, like all who
hold political office in this country, and
are. therefore, amenable TO their au-
thoriiy.
We believe that the people at large
will have sunk to the lowest point of
degradation before they will, by their
votes. elect to the United States Senate
men who are VIGOROUSLY mere money
baes.n In spite Of the increase in the
worship of money in the Uoi1ed States,
and the certainty that this increase will
be continuous, it will be long before
money worship will have so permssted
and demoralized she masses that they
will not value, az most worthy OF re-
spect in their public men, ability to
cope with great questions in debate
Iu order to obtain their suffrages, this
will be the special capacity which their
public men will, as rule, have to pcs
sess.
Money, which can be used to such
good effect Ia inhuencings Legislature
can have but little power in impressing
the popular sentiment of hundreds Of
thousands OF voters when only sena-
torship is at stake. TO secure so great a
prize against tho innumerable odds that
would have to be overcome, would re
quire higher order Of ability than that
which enables so many men TO convert
one dollar into two in the shortest
given time. which appears now to be-
at least at the North, the principal
test applied to candidates for senator
ships.