New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1895-01-30
How To
Elect
Senators,
Hon. VIM. Henry Eustis Of Minneapolis
Gives His Ideas to the Review.
He Believes in a U. s. Senate, but not in
the Method of Election.
The Constitutional Change Cannot Be
Made Zoo Quick, he Says.
A Brilliant Article Which All Should
Read.

h0dus
Last Saturday the Review requested
the Hon, WIN. Henry Eustis of Minneap-
oils to give us his opinions on the fol-
lowing question: "Shoula we have L.
nited States Senate, land if so how should
it's members be elected?" He has replied
in a splendid article, which we publish
here with and which we are sure Will
meet with hearty approval from all we'll
minded citizens. He says:
TO the Editor of the Review:
"Should we have United States Sen
ate?" In answer to that question, my
Judgment is decidedly, Yes. 1t is, or
should be, grand conservative balance
wheel on the actions of the House. There
is little question in the mind of the pub
lie but what the Senate has been and
will be a useful member of the National
Government. The idea of the Senate was
we'll thought out and planned in the
adoption of the Constitution, and exper
ierce has demonstrated the wisdom of
this separate and upper branch of the
national legislature.
AS to your second question, "How
should the members of the Senate be
elected?" Experience has not demon
strated that the original and present plan
has been a marked success. The criti-
cism has been made that the United
States Senate is nillionaire's club. To
some extent the criticism is true, and the
causes therefor 60 back to the election
of representatives in State legislatures.
These elections are attended with more
or less expense, and the practice has
grown up of compelling candidates to
the u. S. Senate to assist IN the election
of members to the State legislature. To
do this, and to do it effectively, requires
that none but rich men should be con-
sidered in connection with this high Of
flee. If he does not take an active part
in the election of the members of the
Legislature in November, he is expected
in January to help out in this direction.
This practice is not confined to any one
state, but has become universal. It does
net apply to all the members of the
Legislature, or even to majority of
them, but there are in every Legislature
in every State some people Influenced
more or less by this consideration, which
they have come to look upon as legiti-
mate, and in many states there are
enough of this class TO hold the balance
Of power.
There is No reason why a candidate
for the United States Senate should spec
ifcally contribute directly or indirectly
towards the expenses of the candidate
for the legislature. The election of the
United States Senator is only one of the
many duties to be performed by the
Legislature and there is no reason why
in the discharge of that duty. any more
than any other, should specific assistance
be granted in the campaign or after. The
candidate for the United States Senate
should contribute to the general and leg
itimate expenses of the campaign, and
give of his time and services to the gen.
eral ticket, the same as other members
of the party do,
Six years ago in many Eastern and
Western states this evil reached the
height of almost national scandal, and
so long as the present system Of electing
United States Senators is in vogue, the
evil will not altogether disappear.
The remedy for this seems to me to
be in changing the Constitution of the
United States, so as to secure the cleo
ton of the United States Senators direct
ly by the people. This. it appears to me
will accomplish two things. 1t will do
away with the suspicion of improper in
t1uences in the matter of elections, and
I believe change the personnel Of the
Senate itself, SO that men will be select
ed more for their brains and integrity
than for riches. ~ ...- +.
The criticism made upon the United
States Senate can in no State be made
upon the Governors. Now and then a
rich man is made Governor, but the
greater part of the Governors of the var
ious States have been selected because OF