Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-12-23
Letter Frem Jerry.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, q. 8.
WASHINGTON, ID. G. Dec. 10, 1891. {

DEAR INDEX: The u. >. senate re-
publican caucus committee to deter B
mine how to make up the senate stand
ing committees. in their report provide
that the senior senator from Kansas,
Mr.. Plumb, shall be the chairman OF
the committee on Public Lands, anC
Transportation and sale of Meat Pro
ducts, and he is assigned the thirdplace
on the committee on Appropriations.
and the District of Columbia. Senator
PETER is given places on the committee
on Census, Claims, Improvement oil
Mississippi river and its tributaries,
Railroads and to examine the several
branches of the Civil Service.
The Washington Post makes the fol
lowing comments thereon:
1T will be noticed that while Senator
PETER has been assigned to the commit
tees on Claims, Civil Service, Census
of the Mississippi river
and Railroads, Senator Kyle has not
been recognized by the republicans
When he was approached with view
of ascertalning his preferences he re
plled in a nOn-committal manner. 1t has
been agreed that he shall be cared fol
10y the democrats, the idea of the party
leaders being to swallow up the two
|1enators, so as to speak, in order thai
their individuality as alliance mel
may be reduced to minimum"
Senator David Turpie, of Indiana.
who defeated Senator Benjamin Harri-
son for reelection to the senate in 'S7.
will soon make an elaborate speech IL
the senate in advocacy of a constitu,
|tional amendment for the election o.
United States senators directly by thu
people. Representatives. William j Bryan
the democratic member from Nebraska
will present the same matter in the
house. Senator John H. Mitchell, OF
Oregon, introduced this proposition il
the last congress, and, in a recent in
terYiew, he thus expressed himself OF
4 this question:
II have looked into this subject with some
care, and l find that when the framing of the
constitution was being discussed at Philadel
phia in 1887 one of the plans proposed for tho
election of senators was their choice by Tho
people. This was not adopted because it wa;
feared that it would give the people to muof
power. You see we had not entirely thrown
of our British training and prejudice then
All sorts Of propositions were discussed from
the naming Of senators by the president
which was a stride toward monarchy, to theiI
selection by the people, which was pure de
mocracy. The discussion was so vigorous
that it threatened to dissolve the convention
The system which we now follow was a com
promise in every sense of the word. o.
course there are some people who say that i
Is wise to let well enough alone. No man ear
excel me in praise for the constitution. 1t hal
stood the tests of q century, unsoathed by civi
contention, unframed by the fires of inter
uecine war, and, as a whole, stands pre-emi
nent second to none in wisdom and architec
tual strength and beauty among all the unin
spired productions of the world. But does 4
follow from this, that neither the wisdom O.
100 years, the altered condition of things, no.
yet the changed opinions of mon, or the chang
cd conditions in the mental, moral and socia
status of the people and of the nation, as com
pared with a century ago, should not sugges
advisable and important changes in a nationa
chaIter2 Already fifteen changes have beef
made in the constitution, and everyone vii
agree that they were all well advised; tina
they have opened wider the doors OF individu
al liberty, and enlarged the sphere of human
rights"
When asked what would be gainet
by the election of senator's by the PEG
pie, he said:
I'm the first place, we would avoid all tn
scandal which sometimes attaches to a legisl
turf that is said to be brIbed. No man coul
bride whole state. We would avoid the FRI
quent dsadlooks, where the power ia given
one member of legislature to cast the deciC
ing vote for a senator. We would avoid tn
great waste OF time on the part Of the legisll
ture In electing a senator, when matters
vital interest to the state are lost sight of; al
Frequently sol much time is consumed in choo
ing a senator that important state legislatio
has to be postponed. 1t would also do aws
with the present great objection that the ind
vldual voter cannot vote for his choice. n
cannot, in fact, vote directly at all, but mu
content himself with casting vote for meI
bers of the legislature, who may or may NJ
properly represent his wishes in the vote the
cast for senator. The system is unrepublical
not democratic, and vicious in all respects.
carries with it the implication that the peopl
the qualified voters of state, are for son
reason unfit for the full exercise of the electiN
franchise in the choice of high governmel
officials, except in qualified and largely r
stricted sense"
INTERVIEW WITH JERRY SIMPSON.
On the afternoon of the day whe
President Harrison's message was giV
en- to congress, Mr.. Simpson was thu
interviewed by the Herald:
1.-THE annual message of the president of IL
United States, to congress, is hardly ever SUI
ected to anything like fair criticism, whic
such state paper. in justice to the plain con
mon people of our land, should impartlally r
ceive. The message, especially in these latt,
lays, is expected by the partisan supporters
the national administration to be general d
tense of the political policies which the admin
stration may choose to recommend or adop
Earnest and patriotic men have measurab
ceased to look for practical wisdom from sue
a document, considering it as means to a
end of promoting party purposes, and as so
of protection to jobbing schemes Of one so
( and another, developed by commercial an
4political adventures, ostensibly in the bet
interests of the great republic, but most fr
,Squently as processes of enrichment of dome
1tc and foreign syndlcates who would fain q
= formulate worldly treasure in the name and III
/ Ader the banner of popular liberty.
81 A cursory examination of this message
faPresident Harrison cOmDels the belief that
twill hardly have long abiding place in til
5ehoice matter of American history.
II Referring to the Maritime Canal Co., of n
. caragua, the president quotes Senator Morga
n support of his own position. Now, if it wei
generally understood that several of the stool
holders in this Nicaragua Canal Co. were d
rectly interested in the North Carolina Gre,
'ote Co., which company can creosote the va
3amount of piling TO be used in the constru
ton of the work, at a profit of 10 cents DC
foot, while the general government would pa
Therefor 20 cents per foot, this one phase ,
the organized jobbery of the scheme migl
easily show why it should be championed /
t4interested parties in the national congress
81 But 1t is not deplorable that the presideI
- eN.E-