The record-union., 1891-01-29
CHOOSING SENATORS.

A bill to take vote of the people at the
next general election to ascertain the
will of the State upon the question of
electing United State Senators by direct
vote is likely to become a law this winter.
This vote is to be in the nature of
petition to Congress, expressing the desire
for or against constitutional change.
1t is probable that the result of that
election when held will be an affirmative
one. The reason for this is apparent to
whoever has his eyes open. The United
States Senate has become so nearly a
rich mans club, seats in it are SO openly
bought and sold, corrupt political prac-
tees are so common and unblushing
that politicians actually offer sittings in
Mr.. Astor was offered a seat in the Sem
ate for the cool sum of quarter of a
million-that the people have become
alarmed. They see that the chief MEN,
Der Of the legislative body of the nation
is rapidly becoming an aristocratic one,
and that its relation to the people is as
Stunning the attitude that the House of
Lords holds towards the the people of
England. They observe with even more
than alarm that ability and service are of
less account in commenting one to 8
Senatorial seat than the size Of his purse,
and they see clearly also that this ten
dency is rapidly developing lines that
mark the boundaries of class distinctions.
Such being the trend of the public
thought, it is easy to understand that the
popular voice will declare in favor of a
popular election of Senators. 1t re-
mains to be seen when a new system is
adopted whether the influences that now
operate to advance mediocrity and place
in high seats men for no other reason than
that they are able to buy Legislatures, will
not be used among the people and to great
extent corrupt the fountain head that
| through boss manipulation the control of
the caucus and the primary and the stock
ing of the convention, the people may
still be made to reflect the will of the
rings and the bosses. That this is now
the case to great extent every one
| knows.
The chief corrective of this evil is to be
| found in the reform ballot law. Under
| that system, which the Legislature will
| adopt if it is moved by wisdom and pos
sessed of ordinary prescience, the boss
| will, in most part, be deprived of his
power. 1t will be all but impossible for
him to coerce voters, to manipulate re-
turns or stuff ballot boxes; he will cease
to manipulate tickets, and ballots also,
and the forgotten man" will no longer
| be at his mercy. But since it is probable
that the question of changing the system
of electing United States Senators is to be
| passed upon by the people of the State,
| why not submit the alternative propo-
sition of a Senatorial Elective College9
This plan the RECORD UNION has several
times set forth at length. 1t is simply to
have an electoral college chosen from
counties or districts, as are members of
the Legislature, which shall have the
single duty of electing Senators. The
advantage of this plan is that it distri-
butes among the people the power of
choosing, and does not give to eongested
populations the preponderance of power
with which direct vote would invest
them. That is to say, the representation