The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1894-05-31
THE WAY TO ELECT.

Many people and many papers are
/ discussing the Senate. Some pro-
| pose that it be abolished; others
that it should be reformed, and
nearly all acknowledge that change
must be made in the manner of elect
ing them. On this subject the Rich
| mond Times says:
The practical working of our insti-
tutions has totally disappointed the
! expectations of the trainers of our
| Constitution in respect to this mat
ter. They never took INFO their view
| the use which corrupt men would
| make of government patronage and
money to debauch the elections OF
| the State Legislatures to secure
| thereby their own election by these
| legislatures to the Senate. But this
| is so simple and 50 easy a thing that
we now find all the politics of the
whole country tending more and
more to it as the pivot upon which
they all revolye. The Senate is rapid
ly becoming no more than q body of
political "bosses," who trade their
votes in that body for money contri-
buttons to their campaign funds with
Which they debauch the elections of
the State Legislatures. In doing
this they debauch all the politics OF
the State and corrupt all of her in
situations from their foundation up
wards. Some measure for averting
this baleful and dirty work of the
political boss" who corrupts with
money, must be found or all our in
stitutions will gradually crumble
and fall into one mass of confused
rOttenness. The necessary measure
is bringing senators before the people
for election by their direct vote. We
have undying faith in the people,
aided and enlightened by free and
independent press. Their Judgment
is always right when the facts are
| brought out before them; and when
senators are chosen by their direct
votes we shall have men in that body
whose personal characters must be
above suspicion in the first place,
and who represent fairly the average
sentiment OF the State behind them,
be it what it may.
Mr.. Catchings is right when he
says that the senators now occupy
ing seats 10 the Senate will not vo: e
90 pass this bill. Entrenched il their
dishonored seats by legislatures be
hind them, that they have corrupted
they think that they may defy ali
decency and scorn the public will.
But there is a way to get at these
men and to force them to let go their
hold upon the public throat. Agita-
tion Of this matter before the people
vii! secure the desired result.
Let every citizen resolve that he
| will do all in his power to make his
Legislature pass resolutions de-
manding that his senators shall vote
for this bill, and the thing will GER
tainly be done. Sixty years ago the
Senate of the United States under
took to pass resolution of censure
upon President Jackson for an
official act that was right, and that
the people of the United States APP
proved of AS soon as it was done
Senator Benton moved to expunge
it from the Record. He regularly
renewed his motion at each session
thereafter, aud forced vote upon it
each session. The people took it up.
State legislatures passed resolutions
demanding that their senator's
should vote for it; sensible senator's
obeyed the public behest, and obsti-
nate ones were turned out of their
seats, and, after q few years of agita-
ton, the Senate eXpunged the resolu-
ton of censure.
1t is within the power of the people
to force the Senate to pass this bill
also, and there is nothing 50 import
ant as that it should be forced to do
so