The herald., 1897-03-24

! of United States senators by popular
| vote, detailing the uncertainties and
frequent scandals attending the present
method OF choosing senators.
After reviewing the historical points.
| he spoke directly upon the subject or the
cases now pending in the senate two OF
which the legislatures failed to elect and
| the senators were appointed by the gov
| ernors of the states. 1t is not now un-
common, he said, that the legislature of
a state spends the whole of its session
| in attempting to elect a senator and ad-
! journs without succeeding in the at
tempt, thus submerging the rights and
interests local to the people of the state.
Under the present method OF electing
senators, many Of the states have been
| deprived from time to time of their
equal suffrage in the senate, evils which
would disappear by the change he ad-
| vocated.
usurpat ton of the power of trusts and
the influence they exerted over state
legislatures.
He said: "Thss is an instance of
| despotism so odious ard offensive, so
contrary to the inborn freedom of man
hood. in such deadly hostility to liberty
and justice as could only have been in
vented and enforced by the shameless
insolence and audacity of the syndicate
of trusts"
The defeated "force bill'' had been de-
nounced by the press as Infamous. but
the later force bill Of the syndicate of
trusts was ten-fold more worthy of such
designation.
The oligarchy of the thirsty trusts
processes intense opposition to free hm-
bebr. free wool, free coffee. free coinage.
but it abhors with perfect hate the free
ballot
The senator said he did not include
all corporations Some of them had
acted quite honorably but they were not
considera BILE in number. The plotters
in this tyranny of trusts had not tried
to avail themselves of the terms OF the
public laws, they had not made pre-
tense of authority. They sulk behind
secret orders, hide among the shadows
of the incorpora ted ghosts, who unseen
and unknown, corGEct this raid against
the franchises.
Mr.. Turpie closed at $40 p. m, and the
senate went into executive session.
The open session was resumed at 3:20.
The bin was passed to establish the
official survey of certain lands IN Ne
braska. west of the Niobrara river. On
motion of Mr.. Hoar the bankruptcy Dill
which was reported favorably, was
made the unfinished business, thus CIV
ing it right of way after p. m. daily.
Senator Lindsay from the committee
on judiciary today reported the bank-
ruptcy bill substantially as it was report
ed by Senator Teller during the last
congress.
A resolution by Chandler was agreed
TO calling on the secretary of state for
information as to the amounts paid to
aliens as indemnity for personal IN
Jury from mobs and whether efforts had
been made to secure reimbursement
from the states where the mob violence
occurred.
Pettigrew called up the bill to amend
the act repeating the timber culture
laws. When some opposition was mani
tested, Pettigrew said: This bill passed
the senate and the house at the last ses-
sion, but it failed to receive the presi-
dents signature, as he was too busy
fishing"
The bill was then passed and at 3:20
D. m. the senate adjourned.
The arbitration treaty did not receive
any consideration at the hands of the
senate today
SESSION NOTES.
WASHINGTON, March 23.-The Re-
publican members of the senate COM
-mittee on finance did not sit today. ow-
ing to the absence of Senator Aldrich
from the city. They held their first
session on the Dingley tariff bill in their
new quarters at the Arlington hotel last
nlgnI, COnCluulIlS d HlllC allci rs H.
1t is their purpose to resume their ses-
sions tomorrow and continue them day
and night, with as little interruption as
practicable, until the work shah have
been completed.
j. H. Brigham of Delta, Ohio. took
the oath of office as secretary of agri-
culture today and Immediately as
sumed his duties.
There were no developments today in
the case of the See Yups of San Fran
cisco, who are in the city. The attor-
neys for the See Yups have arranged for
a meeting with the Chinese minister to-
morrow, when it is expected some def
mite understanding in regard to the mat
ter may be reached.
The senate, in executive session today,
confirmed Willis Van Devanter of wy
oming to be assistant attorney-general;
also Capt. Charles Shaler to be major
of the ordnance department of the army.