Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-03-09
SPECTATOR,
The Constitution.

The axe is laid at the root of the tree. The
work Of the illustrious founders of our gov
eminent which has carried us through peril
GUS times for more than 100 years is now
seriously threatened with a change which will
impair the safety of the system which has
been afforded by Senate removed by ap-
pointment little above the immediate throes
of popular excitement and passion to preserve
an equipoise in the government until time is
afforded to cool, and reason to reassert itself.
The report of the Committee of the House of
Representatives proposes the change to an
election by the people, and affirms that the
proposition has the sanction of almost uni
versal popular demand. This is not conclu
sive of the propriety of the proposed change,
but is strongly persuasive of the inadequacy
of the present plan"
This announcement strikes the country with
surprise. Very few of the people, in Vir-
ginia, had heard that there is any discomfort
with the election of Senators by the enlight-
ened and respectable citizens chosen by the
people to the Legislature for that and other
duties.
Mr. John Jay in explaining this point says,
This mode has, in such cases, vastly the adj
vantage of elections by the people in their
collective capacity, where active party zeal,
taking advantage of the supineness, the ig-
norance, the hopes and fears" &c; See, Fed
eralist page 295 Mr. Madison sustains the
same view.
The Committee ought to be able to show, in
SO grave a matter, when and where 'the sane
ton of almost universal popular de
mand" was anthoritatively given to make it
equivalent to the formal and lawful adoption
of the constitution which has been given.
| The first reason given by the Committee
| for recommending the proposed change will
strike the people of Virginia with even greater
surprise, emanating from the course it has;
Sec, 1.-THE Legislature, being body of limit
ed members is more amenable to undue infiu-
ences and the corrupt power of corporate ag-
gressions and idividual wealth than would
the entire population Of a State"
1.-The public press for years Gn each recur
ring year, has been teaming with Legislative
scandals in the elections of Senators unit
bribery and corruption are, we fear, in some
localities, fast becoming recognised as a par
of the legislative function, while the capacity
of the pocketbook rather than that of the heal
is regarded in like places as the measure o.
Senatorial equipment. Committees Of investi
CATION and the grandjuries of the States have
been unwilling or unable to detect the fraud
SO skillfully have the manipulators Of it be
come, until, at last, an outraged public senti
ment has become aroused and has found it
| no
; In Virginia we have had orderly, open 0'r
yoce elections by the legislators of Senator
without suspicion or complaint expressed
The Senators from Virginia, from the first t.
the last, have as whole, been the equals il
ability, integrity, a high sense of honor, IL
craftsmanship, in loyalty to the rights an
best interests of the people to the most illus
, trious names which adorn the pages of Amer
can history Legislators of Virginia iron
first to last, with very rare individual excer
tons. have been loyal to their constitution Il
the choice of Senators and the equals OF tn
people by whom they were chosen The ale
cations of the report are wide in their scop
without marking the exceptions, or locatin
the entity. In the 9TH reason the report say
, with other uncomplimentary things; 9TH
/: 4 money which corrupts, by purchase, tn
members Of the Legislature for Senatoria
elections has debauched him as a servant c
the people he is sworn to serve in local legi'
lation." If the Committee of investigator
, and the grandjuries of the States have bee
| unwilling or unable to detect the frauds, s
| skillfully" &c, how have the Committee a
/ | rived at the facts to warrant such gray
7 charges against their fellow-citizens?
| We of Virginia know that the unguarde
? statements of the Committee, as they rela
l to our Senators and Legislators, are not tru
t but the outside world may embrace vi
ginians in the general category. The futul
e historian will take the report of the Hou'
e Committee as conclusive evidence on Il
), theory that it would not willingly record s