St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-12
II
HON. JOHN M. GILMAN.


am unable to see any good reason
why United States senators should not
be elected by the people, as we'll as
members of the house while there are
several reasons, in my Judgment, why
they should be so elected. Amy argu-
ment against the election of senators
by the people must be based upon
distrust OF the capacity of the people to
elect their own lawmakers; or. in other
words, a distrustof the capacity of the
people for elf-government. ana of the
stability of republican institutions, If
the people cannot be trusted to elect
United States senators, how can they be
trusted to elect members of the house?
If they can be safely trusted to elect
members of the house; why cannot they
be trusted to elect senators? favor
the election of senators by the people
for the following. among other reasons:
First - 1t brings senators more
in touch with the people. They
would more Immediately and directly
feel aud be affected by the popular
pulse. They are now too far removed
from the people, and do not feel direct
responsibility to the people. There is
too wide gulf between the senate and
the people. If our boosted republican
basis. then the nearer our lawmakers
are to the people the better.
iSecond-So long As our senators are
elected by the legislatures of the several
states there will be more or less seats
in that body purchased by money. But
if they are elected by the people, mere
wealth will not be able to secure a seat
in the senate so readily as is now the
case.
Third-Under the present system of
electing senators they do not fear pub
lie sentiment as they would if they were
elected by the people, and as result
they are more liable to be secured
through the influence of money and
other considerations to favor trusts.
concentrated wealth and other special
interests.
There is also another important re.
form in connection with the United
States senate which l have long since
thought should be introduced. do not
think the small states should have
the same representation and voice
in the United States senate as
the large states. When the Union
was formed. all the states, without ref
erence to population, were given an
equal representation and voice in the
senate, upon the theory that the gov
eminent was confederacy of states,
and therefore that each state should
have an equal voice in the upper branch
of congress. But the late civil war
overthrow this theory of a confederacy.
and established the theory that the
whole people of the United States con-
stitute a national government, in the
management of which the people are
represented by congress. Now there is
no longer any reason or Justice i'll allow
ing the small states the same power and
voice in the senate as the large states.
Wa should amend our constitution SO as
toconform to the principles which were
established by the result of the late civil
war. The United States senate should
nov be representative body Of the peO-
pie, the same as the house, so far as is
practicable. The constitution should be
amended so as to allow each state one
senator, and in addition thereto sena-
tor, say, for each five members of the
house, or fraction of three members. all
to be elected by the people. In this
way both branches of congress would
be representative of the people, and
directly responsible to the people. These
are my views long ago formed, and here
roughly an hastily KIP esSed.
II NM A~G~774au~