The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-06
Discuss The Election Of United
States Senator's.
POPULAR VOTE PLAN DISCUSSED.
IL Was Favored by Harvard and Neg
atived by Yaie-No Decision Was
Rendered ut ths Close. but IL VIII he
Awaited with Much Interest.


binding snowstorm the Yale Harvard de.
bate before the Unity club attracted but a
small audience. 1t was. however. select
and made up OF the wealthiest and most
prominent residents of the city. The sub
5ect discussed by the debaters was: ''Shall
United States senator's be elected by a
popc,-> ose liz the states" Il. II. Wait
and A. = kpsey of Harvard supported the
affirmative side Of thc question. while w.
4. Thoms ard r. A, Wel.s OF Yale rrheld
the negative.
Mr. Wait took the place Of Mr.. Parsons,
who was unable 20 participate because of
illness. He opened the debate, apollo
gizing for tho short space OF time given
for preparation. The question, he said,
was one that should appeal to all who
take an interest In popular government.
When The constitution was framed the
makers thought they had filed all the re-
quirements, but one defect that they failed
to see was that by its provisions the people
were not allowed to elect senator's directly.
The problem has been satisfactorily solved
that the popular election Is the right way
to choose senator's, who compose body OF
ordinary mortals.
The first fault of the present system Is
that the senate is not made up of men of
ability. He cited Murphy. Hill and Quay
ny instances TO prove this assertion, call
ing them political wire pullers and claim
Ing that they We're not elected by popular
vote. Another Objectionable class was
that of moneyed men. whose only excuse
for election was their wealth. Freaks, he
claimed, had no right in the senate to lead
the counsels of the country. The men
mentioned have shown that they are un-
able TO guide the people, and the senate of
today IL the weakest this country has
ever seen. The only remedy is to let the
people nominate their men in an open
caucus and then let them come before the
people for choice. He contended that the
only claim Murphy had to election was
that he was a strong Tammany man.
Ysle's Side.
Thoms of Yale replied first for the neg
ative. He said the safest way was not to
be ready to depart from old principles un-
ill sure we are right in new ideas The
senate does not reflect public opinion, and
will not until public opinion has been
thoroughly crystallized; however corrupt
it Is claimed to be, the senate is composed
Of the most intelligent of men. He said
that the constitutions Of states could
be changed much easier than that of the
United States, and only few states cling
20 the system. Just think what the SEN
ate has been. It's walls have echoed to
some Of the grandest statesmen. Were
these men subject to wire pullingf
We should not allow this change until
we are sure something Is to be gained.
Public sentiment runs high against the
senate, but IL we take up such system
who shall point ont the stopping place In
closing, he said there was time when
men of greatest ability sought for Office.
but for the last 90 or 30 years there has
been change, bringing about a decay of
politics, and IL we tolerate the adoption of
such system, just so long will the senate
be filled with any but good men aud hon.
orable statesmen.
Apsey's Argument.
Mr.. Apsey Of Harvard congratulated his
predecessor upon the success of his re-
marks. He declared his rhetoric beauti.
full, his oratory fine, but thought 1t pity
that he did not have sounder basis. and
was surprised at his lack of facts. He
called the electoral college a machine 10
carry out the will of the people, and that
B99 out of 1000 legislators have acted as
machines Legislatures are composed of
merely human beings, containing but few
gods. The proposition to change the sys-
tenn is not new. but, although introduced
into congress, IL has never been passed.
Senator's have been elected by state legis- |
atures that would have stood no show IL |
they had went before the people Judge |
would have been elected IL a leg. |
stature had the decision, but now he must
retire from public life.
He said that the men recently elected |
lid not know how they were elected and |
lid not want to know. He took as an IL. |
ustration the famous campaign of Lincoln
md Douglass. He maintained that the
'enate is, has always been and always will
De the popular body, and its members
should bs elected by the people. Those I'm
t. body otherwise elected have always
)een corrupt. He claimed that the only
eason why the system has not been car
led out is because IL Is change, and a
hange OF the constitution, which some
people think divine, is something terrible.
But the change will come for the cause of
rood and pure government.
Wells Conclusions.
The closing remarks were made by Mr..
Wells OF Yale. He said that the senate
vas to put check on the house. Public
pinion is often wrong. He said the ar
'ument that absoluts Democracy is a sue
ess implies wide ideas. Have we arrived
here? No. Alexander Hamilton saws
hat our government Is more In danger of
buses OF liberty than abuses OF power. AS
he house often represents tickle sentiment.
o the senate does the wise public views of
he people. He called attention TO the
oor government Of the states who carry
n elections under the proposed popular
ote system, throwing open all Offices 60
be vote of the people.
The character Of the senate is the grand
st of any such body in the world. He be-
eved that the affirmative considered
iurphy, Hill and Quay In the wrong
ght, each having been elected by the
eople to Office in their states. The
peaker challenged any country to place
etter men in che halls of legislation than
lany now there. In closing, he said IL
'ould be exceedingly dangerous to do
iolence 10 the constitution which mas
iveu us the best OF government. The
leal government shall always reflect the