St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-28
SHALL THE SENATE LIvEq

|
| SHALL THE SENATE LIVE?
The senate of the United States owes
its origin to "a compromise between
| democracy and the hereditary form Of
! government. And ever since that time
1t has been compromise, not always
with radicalism. but frequently with
right. On occasions its influence has
been beneficial, its conservatism useful,
but as a rule it has been pernicious and
hurtful. Intended as regulator, it has
| become All obstructor Of progress. 1t
was thought to be guard against haSty
legislation. but has proved itself a STUN
bling block and q hindrance to all legiS-
| latiOn.
A writer in the April number of the
American Journal of Politics calls at
tention to some of the changes which
! have recently taken place both in the
| manner Of electing senators and the
| character or the senate itself. He finds
| that the part the senate has In the dis
pensing of public patronage has tend
ency to corrupt it, and to make it
mere instrument of promoting partisan
and personal interests. "lt would IN
[ deed Je difficult" he says. remember
ing what human nature is, to see how
| the senate could be anything else than
partisan body, in view of its share in
! dividing the patronage of the govern
| ment. 1t makes and it unmakes Off
Gals. AS the authority that SuperviSeS
the presidents nominations, it Yields
an immense political power. Nor has
| Its exercise been wholly uncongenial
task. Senators have shown themselves
by no means averSe to the SpOllS SyS-
tenn IN its most comprehensive ramifica-
tons. The courtesy of the senate
which means simply, 4 will help to put
your friends in office if you will do the
| same service for mlne'-iS far from be-
ing meaningless phrase. If common
report is not to be wholly discredited,
the privacy Of the senatorial executive
| SeSSion-an arrangement teuaciOuSlY
adhered to-has covered many dear
embracing the disposal Of extensive
patronage. The constitution meant that
the senate should be merely reviewing
board, but the senators have SO violently
strained their constitutional prerogative
l
selves all appointing power. No set of
men were ever more tenacious of their
privileges Patronage has come to be
regarded by them as a perquisite, and
is demanded as right. The privilege
or debating nominations upon which
they were afterward 10 pass Judgment
has been boldly asserted
But it is not in the matter of appoint
ments TO Office alone that the senate has
proved derelict. 1t has been the espe-
cial refuge and defense of special in
terests. Ever since the Inauguration
Of our present tariff system its members
have gone to Washington as the salaried
attorneys Of one or more of the COM
binations that exist in commercial or
trade circles. 1t is notorious that at
least two of the present members of the
senate were elected through the in
fuence of the Standard OIL company,
aud are themselves large holders of the
stock of that corporations. AT least
one is all active member of the sugar
refining trust; another is the paid at
torney of the linen goods makers OF
Troy; there are railroad attorneys In
| plenty, while the iron, coal and the
+ silver-miniDg interests have more active
agents among the senators themselves
than they have in the lobby.
| The senate has become an arstocratic
body of late years. 1t is an aristocracy
of money, not of descent or noble blood
/ the most arrogant, unprincipled and
| oppressive of all ariStocracicS. Less
than Oue-fOurth of the members NAV ha
honestly claimed as representatives
| of the people. They all have axes to
grind, and they industrIously sharpen
them while the people turn the grind
stone.
The conclusion which the writer re-
ferred to draws. and which the public at
large reached long ago, is that the SEN
ate is all eXcreScence upon our political
system-a survival Of old-world dynas-
ties that can be probably dispensed
| with And the recent conduct of the
j senate in delaying needed legislation in
| the interest of the monopolies has
awakened public indignation to such
| degree as to give an impetus to the
sentiment in favor of its entire abolition.
1t will require fruits meet for repent
| ance on the part of the senate to calm
the storm that has been awakened and
| threatens its existence. A persistence
| in its recent course Will result in revo-
luton. and in the ruins of that revolution
the senate, with all its TRADITIONS" and
''courtesies." will lie buried beyond
| hope of resurrection.