The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-10

Jnfn lnP CIONh 'h''fN''
These remarks Of Mr. Wilmer ana the
wav I'm which they we're received by the
peope furnish a fitting occasion for CIV
| ing a moments attention to the entire
| reversal which the practical working OF
( our institutions has given to what was
| exnected of the Senate when our Govern
ment was formed. When the Constltu-
| ton. as the convention had prepared IT,
was before the people for their Judgment
II was objected TO II that the Senate
might prove TO be an aristocratic' pluto
cratic. possibly corrupt body. setting It's
own viii and interest above those OF the
people.
John Jay. writing 70 Ga OF the heu'i'
aiist. said. TO meet this view:
As the select assemblies for choos-
ing the President, as well as the o'a. a
Legislatures. who appoint the Sen n..',s,
Will in general be composed OF the -
enlightened and respectable oiuzen. ,o' IT,
is reason 10 presume that thel ,hnso
and their votes Will be drecteu u 49,
mon only who have become the ihos'
distinguished by their abilities ana VIZ
tue and I'm whom the people perceive
Just grounds for confidence
That was what wise men then thought
on, institutions were going to do, and
that Is what they would DO out Tor one
thing. The wise men who framed our
institutions made no allowance for the
mar, that money and Government spells
were going to play In their practical
~ hoc
thrown all that was expected Of them
and has converted the Senate into all
that was feared for IT,
The United States senator Of to-day Is
q most singular and complex affair. a
congressman represents only frac'io"
Of a State. so that in most cases ne
decidedly represents either the country
or the town. But the senator represents
the whole state. and ne f.. therefore two
essentially distinct pers rs lie IS one
man as the representative OF the couh-
try. and another man as the representa-
tive of the towns. Consequently we see
all the southern senators voting for free
silver. because their constituency IS over
whelmingly country, while the northern
senators. whose constituencies are more
town than country, vote against Tree
silver. But each senator whether town
or country preponderates in his con-
stituency, does his best, as far as ne can
| do it without making positive issue
with the stronger element, to cater TO
both. And this is the point at which
| the bad part Of the business enters. Inc
senator gets legislation shaped so as TO
| give an unfair advantage to some cor
porate interest something that is larry
! classed with the town, and, in return
! that corporate interest contributes large
| sum of money to the senator's campaign
fund. The senator is master OF his
party's machinery in his state, and he
directs the spending of this money when
a Legislature is TO be elected The mem
Der Of the Legislature who secures an
election through the aid of senator or
candidate for the Senate, looks crate
! fully TO this senator as the person who
| furnished the money that elected him,
and thus the Legislature becomes sub
servient TO this senator. Through this
course of procedure the Senate Of the
| United States has come TO be body in
all respects the very opposite Of what
it was expected to be when our Govern
ment was formed. and we do not hesitate
| to say that. as it now exists. it is the
most serious peril to which our institu-
tions are subjected. 1t is corrupting them
from their foundations upwards.
No more glaring illustration Of the
| truth Of what we say can be found than
| in the course of the Senate towards the
| tariff bill The compromise BILL" which
it is now about to discuss ard vote
upon, eliminates from the bill as it
passed the House almost every element
of tariff reform, and makes it only
slight, and very slight, modification Of
the Mckinley bill. The specific duty"
| Is what does the business. The ad valo-
rem principle is either abandoned or
essentially modified, with all sorts of
protection hudd!ed up and concealed I'M
der the Specific charge"
And why has this been done? The
senator of the boss" order demands IT
as a benefit TO the monopoly in his
State; this monopoly will give him ia
return a large contribution to his cam
paign fund; with this ne will corrupt the
suffrage and elect a Legislature that will
re-elect him; and so the thing goes on.
| The foundation of all our troubles is the
use of money in our elections, and
that must be cut up root and branch, or
it will corrupt and destroy them all.
MOST pEnlII,INC MnyE