The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-08-25
The American senate.

In his Red Bank speech GOvcr-
nor Tillman waxed vociferous tor
the election of u. y. Senators d.
by the people and not by
the State Legislatures. The es-
sence of his argument was that 1t
Is a small matter to bamboozle
a State Legislature and so mon.
opolists get the country in their
clutch. With a boast of his deep
lore in 8. @. politics scarcely past
his lips, it is remarkable that the
governor should have taken such a
nonsensical position.
In the record breaking year
of 1891, when tho ideas of the
Farmers Movement gained such
complete ascendency, seven
members were nominated and
elected by Democrats to the lower
house of Congress from s.. G. Two
of these, Shell and Stackhouse,
one with ard the other without II
contest, were chosen as represent
ing the Alliance and Farmers
Movement. Johnson, Brawley
and Hemphill, after stand up
fights, defeated candidates repre-
sentiDg those ideas. Elliott and
George Tillman had no Democratic
opposition. The fOimer certainly
Is not regarded as belonging to the
Alliance ranks and the latter OPP
poses most Of its leading demands.
Yet it is maintained, and perhaps
with truth, that South Carolina is
n of the two states most imbued
with the principles Of the great
farmers reform, When the Legis-
lature met it was overwhelmingly
a Farmers Alliance body and so
1t went to work and elected Irby,
an Allianceman, to the u. s. SEN
ate over q statesman who had
every other consideration in his
favor. In South Carolina, at least,
Governor Tillman's assumptions
have been totally contradicted,
and carrying his theory a little
further, it would lead to the con-
clusion that 1t was the people of
five congressional districts and not
the members of the Legislature
who sold out.
But the proposition to make U.
S. Senators elective by popular
vote is revolutionary. Such q
change in the federal constitution
would undermine the Republic to
the extent Of removing one of the
strongest foundation stones. If
our government has a distinctive
feature it is that 1t Is a government
OF "checks and balances" Intended
to voice the popular mind, which
in all history has been subject to
sudden and violent changes, men,
bers of the lower house are chosen
by the ballots of all tho people at
short intervals. To guard against
it's tendency to overstep the
bounds of prudence, the Senate
was established, its members to
serve six years and to lie elected by
men who had themselves been set
apart from the body as safe, intel
ligent and honest. To change this
mode of election would amount.to
the destruction Of a necessary ele.
ment in that character for conser-
vatism without which the Senate
would cease to be of value and be-
come an incubus to legislation.
AS further protection against
hasty legislation, the president
was given the veto power.
There we're giants in those days
who Joined these great principles
into a fabric of government. Careful
adjustment was required and with
out it the Union could not have
been formed. After arduous labor
and patience, the work was done
and well done. 1t has stood for
more than q century unshaken.
The man who suggests a modif-
cation of its ground work is bold
indeed!