Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-10-06
THE SENA TIE MUST BE REFORMED


The suggestion that the United States
Senate be abolished Is one of those wild
emanations to which thoughtless people are
prone in moments Of excitement 1t is as
impracticable as it is undesirable. The
provocation TO it is, however, another mat
ter. The United States Senate is now being
perverted from its purpose under the Con.
stitution in way to try the patience of the
people seriously. 1t is not like the House
Of Lords of Great Britain, the aristocratic
branch of the government 1t was meant
originally 10 represent the States, as the
House of Representatives represented the
people more directly according TO their num-
Der. But the Senate was still intended to
represent the people as much as the other
body, for what is the voice OF the States but
the voice of the people Of the States In
this capacity 1t might be question worth
considering whether it was not the duty of
the body that represents the States to defer
to the body that represents the people when
the voice of the people is expressed by the
great majority that has recently been made
apparent in the House of Representatives.
But we are under no necessity To make such
claim. If the Senate will represent the
voice of the States, II is all that we would
ask at this juncture. The relative power of
the States in legislation, as represented by
the present Senate, has been trlhed with in
the interest of political party until so
many small States have been admitted 10
the Union that the smaller States have an
inequitable representation not contemplated
by the trainers of the Constitution and dan.
gerous TO the public prosperity. The voice
of the people has been effective to overcome
even this, however, in dealing with the cur.
rency question. We can bear that Nevada
and Idaho and North Dakota shall offset
New York and Ohio and Massachusetts,
and still retain sound legislation, If legisla.
ton in the legitimate order Of affairs be al.
lowed The ofiense of the present Senate
is that it refuses to allow the representatives
of the States to legisate at all under rea-
sonable conditions. 1t is this that has aroused
public indignation to the extent that we
have noted in the opening Of this article
Our fathers when they framed the Ma.
tional Constitution thought that they had
made government in which the majority
was 10 rule Those for whom IL was made
have lived for more than a hundred years
under the impression that such a govern.
ment had been made. Are we TO change all
this now and agree that we have govern.
ment containing one branch which can be
used TO defeat the will of the majorityp Let
us consider the manner 10 which the Senate
is made up in giving our attention TO this
question Aside from the fact that there
are several States with two Senators each,
though in their population they have but
handful of people in comparison with the
average population of the States outside
them, it is TO be remembered that these
States, and others as well, have In too many
instances chosen their Senators by the di.
rect use Of money. Rich men have bought
thier seats as Senators, and II the will of the
American people is to be dehed in the Sen
ate, it is to be deticd by the most odious of
combinations against the general sentiment
Of the country, the combination of wealth.
The Senate must be reformed. II must
do away with Its traditions, and constitute
itself in fact what ii was intended to be by
those who made ii, a part of the government
a representative boly. 1t does not now
represent the people, il does not represent
States. II undertakes 10 obstruct the will
of both. The claim that its traditions make
this necessary is ptiable acquescence In
an attempt TO prevent the operation OF our
government The minority there is under.
taking to do what no House of Lords has
dared to do in Great Britain, and it Is under.
taking TO do this TO the immediate and press.
ing injury of the public prosperity 1t is
an outrage upon the rights as freemen of
the American people and upon their welfare
as citizens under the government.