Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1891-09-12
CIEANrNs our THE SENATE.

AkANHA9 ~ HE
A special comes from Alabama which
declares that the principal object OF the
National Farmers Alliance is 10 "eleau
out" the United States Senate. This IL
q work in which many men in both the
old parties will join. The average Ameri'
can has ceased TO be proud Of the Senate.
AS the country has grown rich and great
the Senate has gone down hin. A half
dozen experienced men are all that saves
it from contempt. A man makes . for
tune in mining or railrosding, by the use
Of some patent machinery or other kin
dred way, and s~trsightway he proposes
TO buy O seat in the Senate. The aver
Legislature has such seats for sale.
The worst OF the business is that the nv.
ersge Senator does not consider that be
has done wrong in buying his seat He
proposes to vote with his party on party
questions. and argues that his vote will
count for as much as IL he had some I'M
derstanding of the measures he was vot-
ing upon. Fully ~two-thirds Of the pres
emit Senate can be spared. They bring
neither the power or intellect nor the
intelligence that comes Of experience to
the consideration of public affairs. Some
are in the Senate as agents OF corpora
tions, others for the social consideration
the Office gives themselves and their fam
lilies. with q ~sPrinkling OF smart politi'
.:--- n are adopts in the requirement
and distributions OF patronage. The po-
litioal value of the Senator Of this class
is determined by the amount Of Federal
patronage he brings back to his State.
There are q few Senators left who are a
credit to the country. They have reached
the Senate through service in the Legis-
latures Of their several States and the
Lower House Of Congress. The purpose
Of the Farmers Alliance in cleaning
out" the Senate will be ~spplauded, and
il is much to be hoped that their light
ming will strike in the right places. San
Francisco Call.
We are very glad to find so sensible an
article as the above in any Pacific Coast
newspaper. As q rule the press Of this
Coast has no independence. II is noto-
riously true that q half-dozen Senators
on q side are the only men Of brains in
the Upper House of Congress. The great
majority of Senators, and particularly
the millionaire portion of them, will
hardly average with an ordinary Nevada
legislator. It is their money that takes
them there, and the object Of their going
is the social distinction tine position car
ries with it. Other men are sent IS the
agents of special interests or corporations,
and they go not to help the people, but
to Cypress them in the interest Of their
corporate masters. None OF the Pacific
Coast States ever think Of e~lecting a man
Of the people. In Nevada we never fail
to send the attorneys Of the Central Pa
ciic Railroad Company, while California
selects the chief owner Of that railroad
as one Of her Senators. All through the
East manufacturing combinations and
trusts, who have axes to grind in the
tariff, name the Senators. The South
does q little better than any other see.
tion of the Union by sticking to her
ablest men whether they are rich or
poor. But this practice we fear will
break down in time as the South becomes
prosperous once more. There are evil
dences already that money is beginning
to rave an influence there also in poll
tics. But as matters stand to-day, bar
ing a few honorable exceptions, the Sen
ate of the United States stands Tor Rugs
and oliques and jobbery, and in the
broadcast sense is inimical TO the welfare
of the people. 1t also contains vastly
more ignorance than intelligence. The
American Senate is q disgrace to the
American people.