The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-09
IowA.s OTHER GREAT ACT.

After sensibly setting it's face against
free silver. the Iowa Convention oii an
other thing that every State Democratic
Convention in the nation should likewise
do. and then the National Democratic
Convention should adopt 1t as piank IN
its platform. We refer TO its declara-
ton that United States senators snoulo
be elected by the people. This and the
repeal OF the fifteenth amendment to the
Constitution OF the United States are the
crying needs OF the day. When the franz
ers OF the Constitution provided that the
United States senators should be elected
by the Legislatures Of the States. 1t was
upon the theory that the legal entity
which we call the State should have
representative in the interest of conserv-
alive action. different from that OF the
people Of the State. This was construct
ing government upon the lines OF meta
physics instead of upon those OF the de-
monstrated needs OF man. II belongs to
the scheme of Utopia instead OF TO one
where men will seek to defy the laws
by selling whisky on Sunday for gain,
or by running gambling dens where
Young clerks are seduced and inveigled
into gambling away money Of their en-
ployes that they have filched from
the money drawer of the store.
1t belongs to the form of government
that we would like to have instead OF TO
that which the passions and desires OF
men teach us that we must have.
The idea Is founded in an error. There
is no State different from the people OF
the State The State is nothing hut the
aggregation of the States people declar-
ins law for the whole by the voice OF the
majority. The whole idea Of the thing is
fanciful and metaphysical without any
foundation in practical life or the course
OF man.
Accordingly, in the development of or
institutions, being founded on nothing
that belongs to the everyday life Of the
people. we find it degenerates into a use
less appendage that can poison the body
polite. but give no healthy nourishnent
to IT, Rich men and wealthy corporations
perceive, that as the act Of selecting
senator is one removed from the eye OF
the people they can manipulate the forces
tfat are TO make the selection and con-
troll them in their own interests by using
morey in a way unknown to the people
and undiscoverable by them. This IS an
incident Of the scheme which is inhe-
rent in It and which cannot therefore be
guarded against. and which has made the
United States Senate in great part. al
ready, the representative OF rich corpora
lions, and which will make it more and
more so every day that the system lasts.
But the evil is not confined TO this de.
graduation of the Senate.
The bribers must first corrupt the
States Legislatures before they pack the
United States Serate. so that all the
sources OF the laws that touch the poo
pie in their everyday lives are polluted
and noxious poisonous waters flow from
them all
If our senators had been elected BY
the people of Virginia, the mcrtifyins
investigation required by the last Legs
lature would never have occurred, and
we trust such a condition Will never
again arise.
Let Iowa good work go on. then. Let
the cry be raised in every part OF the coun-
try that the people shall be allowed 10
elect their senators by their own vote.
Let this be announces 10 be, as II Is, the
true Democratic doctrine. and let ii be
Joined on to that other great Democratic
principle that each locality shall deter
mine who are to be its voters. When the
malignant South haters attempted TO ig-
more this great Democratic principle by
imposing the force bill upon us. the great
heart OF the whole country beat in an
swer to our protest. and its beat was
only a declaration of that foundation
principle of Democracy. that each neigh
borhood is the proper authority for con-
trolling that neighborhood's local affairs.
If we had the construction of the next
National Democratic platform ii should
contain these planks. The gold standard,
State banks free trade as far as neces-
sary revenue will allow. election of SEN
ators by the people and repeal of the ff-
teenth amendment If we got these in
1t we would not care much what else 1t
contained. or what else il failed to con-
tain. provided there was no germ of So
cialism