St. Paul daily globe., 1894-07-23
ELECrlNG TaE SENATORS.

A bill for an amendment to the con-
stitution requiring that United States
senators shall be chosen 10y direct vote
of the people passed the house of rep
resentativeS Friday. There was but a
small attendance, and the bill was
scarcely debated. A majority of the
members were in the senate chamber,
participants in the exciting scenes trans
piring there, and it is doubtful IL many
of those present understood the nature
of the measure upon which they were
voting.
While significance can scarcely be
claimed for this action of the house.
there can be no doubt but a general
public sentiment exists in favor of such
a measure. The senate has not taken
much pains of late years to disguise the
contempt its members feel for the pub
lie commands and the public interests.
1t dallied for months with the silver re-
peal bill while the country was i'll throes
of distress because of the existence OF
the measure. 1t frittered away months
OF time in considering the tariff bill
while commerce langulshed. trade was
prOstrated, and manufactu para
lyZed. And when it finally came to
consideration of the measure the de-
mands of the majority of the people
were cooIly ignored, while the slightest
wish of the corporations and the trusts
commanded instant obedience.
The senate has been shamelessly eX-
travagant, as we'll. The house, appre-
eiating business coEditions-the scarcity
of money and the unproductiveness of
industry in these times-essayed to re-
duce all appropriations to the lowest
possible limit. All bills were freely
pruned by omitting allowances for all
enterprises that were not Of immediate
necessity. cutting down salaries where
they were unnecessarily large, and
abolishing useless offices while con-
soldating others. Millions of dollars
were saved by the reforms instituted.
Perhaps the pruning knife cut little
too deep in some instances. but the gen.
eral purpose was manifest and praise
worthy. But the senate put its foot
upon almost every reform proposed by
the house. and increased the appropria-
tions carried by every bill that came to
it. sometimes to an extent thar would
have been paralyzing to ''the billion
dollar congress-" The senators did not
know where tine money to meet these
appropriations was to come from, nor
did they seem to care. They were riot
Gus in their extravaganza. drunk in
their profiigacy.
1t seems to have been the aim of the
senators to ride rough-Shod over the
people, and to persistently disregard
their interests. They assumed to be
the masters, instead of the servants
o. the people. They were appa arentIy
obliyious of the fact that day OF reck-
oning may come when they would be
called to account for their acts, or
thought that W hen that day came they
would be too powerful for attack or
conquest. But they have been IN error.
They have enjoyed brief season of
license, and have used it as pleased
them best. But the people in the mean
time have been awakened, and are i'll
quiring upon what meat does this our
Caesar feed that he has grown so great?"
1t has been revealed to them that the
senators long ago ceased to be their
representatives. and have become the
tools of those who are the foes of civil
and industrial freedom: that most of
them are elected to Office by the use of
corporation money and are the faith
full agents of those masters.
Public sentiment is becoming thor
Oughly aroused by the misconduct of
the senators. and is ripe for change
that shall either lead to the abolition of
their chamber or 10 change in the
manner of their election which shall
result in making them directly response
ble to their constituents for their acts.
And the day is not distant when. battle
against it as they may, the office of SEN
ator will be an elective, and therefore
representative one.