The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-29
CHOOSE SENATOR'S BY DIRECT VOTE.

| unv uendinp before the people OF the
| United states Is the proposition 10 amend
| the Constitution Of the United states
! so as 20 make the election OF senator's
matter for the direct vote OF the people.
| Not only So but ~ is the opinion or
The Times that unless this is done the
! Senate of the United States. rapidly be-
coming under the present system the
most rotten and corrupt body in the
world Will. I'm time utterly corrupt ana
destroy every department Of our Govern
nent and turn US into a people honey
combed in every quarter with rotten
ness and corruption. What took place IN
the Virginia Legislature last winter a@0-
ed to what has been brought out in
connection with the Sugar Trust using
senators to fix tariff that suited H.
ought 20 Ice enough to open the eyes
of every man 10 the truth Of what we
say. Senators sell themselves to the pro-
tected monopolies. They then take the
money which these mOnopOlies give them
and corrupt the elections OF members
of the Legislatures Of their states, go as
10 secure their own reelection to the
Senate. when they vote in that body to
perpetuate protection TO the monopolies
and receive more money In return, with
which they again corrupt the people IN
another election Of Legislature. and so
the thing goes on. This thing must be
cut up hy the roots by bringing senators
before the people for their direct vote. or
our institutions and our liberties are lost
to us.
In the debate in the House over the
passage Of the resolution 10 amend the
Constitution. Mr.. De Forest Of Connec-
ficnt made an admirable speech.
AMONGST other things he said:
at Is an admitted principle in the con
duct Of our affairs that enormous prl-
waite Interests can be legitmatey con-
ccrned I'm the legislation Of the f"icrai
Government. and that II necessarily l.l-
lows that they VIII endeaN9I TO M, N
their own chosen representatives, IN the
Senate. aud that they VIII employ SUE
measures as are best suited 80 toat e"'N.
I'm PROPORTION rs those great inter-
csts" continued Nj DE Forest tlahS1
cend an others i'm the amount OF caplldi
they represent. so far VIII tbe IiEhls anu
welfare Of the common people o. lehoI-
ed. and the principle Of justice be tram
pied I'm the dust. -, IT,
I'm concluding bis speech, MI DE For-
rest said. Tyranny driven Guy py IorDe
returns by fraud. Confidence breeds IN
position Delegation of power. Is tMe
prologue to usurpation. Let me inter
mediary be dispensed with ana iet seii H.
tors Doe chosen by the direct vote OF the
people
Mr.. Bryan, Of nebraska, also put me
case well when he said:
we all recognize that there is rea-
son to-day for The election OF senator
by n direct vote oi the peoite tnaJ tl,
uot exist al the time she t"NSN'ONoW
great corporations exist in our states
and that they are able ID compass me
election Of their tools and their agents
through the instrumentdllty OF the Ieti7
lature as they could not II senator's
were elected directly by the people II
is said mat conventions viii nominate.
Yes. but behind the conventions stann
the voters and the delegate 10 con-
venuon dare not support a man WHOM
the member of the legislature might
vote for with inpunity. The cahdld"t'
nominated by the convention must az
neal 10 the voters. but the candidate
chosen hv a legislative caucus appeals
10 no one and Is responsible 10 no one
Men have been elected 10 the Sehale
whom no party convention WOuld nave
Tx-senator Edmunds has within the
past few days stated all that can be
said in defence OF the present system. in
q published interview he said:
THE Senate always has been and a.,
ways will I've SO long AS consututtd
through election by the legislatures Of the
States what John Adams called the
sheet anchor Of the Republic. ON the
whole. IT has been Of invaluable stTNce
in the good government or TINS country;
This attack upon the Constitution ana
the House provision for the election OF
the senator's directly by the people Ia
an immense delusion ana an attempted
disturbance Of conservative balance. as
the Senate is the feature that the makers
of the Constitution intended TO have
most pronounced effect The qualty 81
men selected through popular vote y
much more likely 20 reduce the quarry
Of the body, as is perfectly obvious 70
any person who is at all read IN the
political history Of this or other countries
In one or two other states IL may Dc
possible TO secure two or three men 10
vote for "A particular senator py means
Of purchase. which Is particularly baa
thing but 1t must be femenbercd tnat
the men that manage that sort or thlnb
can control the primaries to choose deI-
egates to a state convention more Ger
tainly than the members or any State
legislature ever elected, and that the
rccule may be generally relied upon 70
vote for the party nominee. good or Dad'
II the States OF the Union rave wlse
and safety, they viii preserve the cleo
ton in thor own legislative body, as |
they preserve the making Of laws"
We frankly concede that in past times |
the Senate has been one Of the most |
distinguished and one OF he purest bodies |
of men that the world ever saw That |
was in the day when the design OF the |
Constitution was given full effect. 1t was
when senators had nothing 10 do with |
manufacturer; the election OF members |
Of the legislatures. and, if that had al
ways remained as the trainers OF the
Constitution expected II would. the scheme
of choosing senators by the legislatures !
would have been the most conservative
Of Influences. But the trainers Of the Con-
stituton did not fOresee that the day
would arrive when the business of pol
itlcs would become as much trade as
the buying and selling OF cattle That
day has come upon us. and the politician.
accordingly, goes about the plying Of |
his nefarious trade with all Ihe cunning
that he uses in trading in cattle He
starts at the bottom. ty fixing the me.n-
Der Of the legislature who is 10 vote
for senator. He cOrrup;s hun with money,
and thus secures his own election.
How preposteTOus In Mr. Edmlnls TO
limit the chance OF corruption TO one
or two States, when We see Calvin 5.
lfice OF New York, representing the
state OF Ohio in The united States SEN
ate and when we Witnessed what took
place IN Virginia. the most col seivat.ve
or all the states. last winter. II such q
thing could happen IN Virginia. and with
the expenditure OF so small sum as was