New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-07-25
Electlng the Senators.

Electlng the Senators.
+ p A bill for an amendment to the con-
stitution requiring that United States
senators shall be chosen by direct vote
of the people passed the house of repre-
sentatlves Friday. There was but a
small attendance, and the bill was scarce
ly debated. A majority of the members
were in the senate chamber, participants
IN the exciting scenes transpiriag there,
and it is doubtful if many of those pres
ent unders;o ood the nature of the meas
ure upon which they were voting.
While significance can scarcely be
claimed for this action of the honse,
there can be no doubt but general pub
lie sentiment exists in favor of such a
measure. The senate has not taken
much pains of late years to disguise the
contempt its members feel for the pub
lie commands and the public interests.
1t dallicd Tor months with the silver re-
peal bill while the country was in throes
of distress because of the existence of
the measure. It frittered away month.
of time in considering the tariff bill
while commerce languished, trade was
prostrated, and manufacturing paralyzed.
And when it finally came to- considera-
tion of the measure the demands of the
majority of the people were coolly ig-
nored, while the slightest wish of the
corporations and the trusts commanded
instant obedience. >s.-. %
The senate has been shamelessly ex-
travagant, as we'll. The house, appreci-
ating business conditions-the scarcity
of money and the nproductiveness of
industry in these times-essayed to re-
duce all appropriations to the lowest
possible limit. All bills were freely
pruned by emitting allowances for all
enterprises that We're not of immediate
necessity, cutting down salaries where
they were unnecessarily large, and abol-
ishing useless offices while consolidating
others. Millions Of dollars were saved
by the reforms instituted. Perhaps the
pruning knife cut little too deep in
some instances, but the general purpose
was manifest and praiseworthy. But
the senate put its foot upon almost every
reform proposed by the house. and in
creased the appropriations carried by
every bill that came to it, sometimes to
an extent that would have been paralyz-
ing to ''the billion-dollar congress- The
senators did not know where the money
to meet these appropriations was to
come from, nor did they seem to care.
They were riotous in their extravaganza,
drunk in their profligacy.
It seems to- have been the aim of the
senators to ride rough-shod over the
people, and to persistently disregard
their interests. They assumed to be the
masters, instead of the servants of the
people. They were apparently oblivi-
Gus of the fact that day Of reckoning
may come when they would be allied to
account for their acts. or thought that
when that day came they would be too
powerful for attack or conquest. But
they have been in error. They have e,,-
joyed brief season Of license, and have
used it as pleased them best. But the
people in the meantime have been awak-
eHed, and are inquiring .1upon what meat
does this our Caesar feed that he has
grown SO great2" It has been revealed
to them that the senators long ago
ceased to bs their representatives., and
have become the tsols Of these who are
the foes Of civil and industrial freedom
that mort Of them are elected to Office
BY the use Of Incorporation money and are
the faithful agents Of those masters.
Public sentiment is becoming thor
oughly aroused BY the misconduct Of the
senator's, and is ripe for change that
shall either lead to the abolition Of their
chamber to 8 change in the manner
Of their election which shall result IN
making them directly responsible to
theiI constituents for their acts. And
The day IS not distant when, battle against
it IS they may, the Office Of senator will
IA an elective arnd there fore rov,,o.n,, 80 -