The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-02-04
POWER is WITH THE PEOPLE.


With every temporary Republican
party asccndency that happens in thi'
country we have Il revival of old ant
oft-rcjected political theories, dug VI
for personal vanity or class advantage
and paradcd as being as good as new
before the nation. Just now Senator
Proctor brings forward Il proposal &c
amend the Constitution of the United
States by making the Presidential tern
SIX instead of four years, and the Con-
SreSsional term three instead OF two
He would also forbid Presidents 10 be
reelected.
This is all nonsense. In free cOun-
Try short terms of office bring the men
i'll power back face To face with iheil
constituents, and compel them 10 ae on
their good behavior against the day of
reckoning. The nearer the public cfii-
Ger is to the time when he must ac-
count to his constituents. the safer the
constituents arc that he will obey their
Will. -Four years is long enough for a
good President to do a large shlrc of
good, and long enough for Il bad one 10
do vast deal of harm. AS to the re-
elections the people will take care Of
that. ami it viii not he necessary to
tinker the Constitution to regulate
them. And the Representatives in Con
gress ought to be removed no further
than they now are from frequent ac-
countability TO their constituents.
Then comes Senator Sewall, of New
Jersey, with il proposal to amend the
Constitution of his State. so as to hold
biennial instead of annual sessions OF
its Legislature. This is another at
tempt to remove power further away
from the masses of the people. Under
plea of economy it would postpone the
correction of abuses. and. undrr the
pretence of diminishing the bulk of
legislation. it would crowd it into con-
fusion to the advantage of the lobby
There are so many hungry corpora
lions i'll New Jersey that the people
cannot well afford to leave them un.
watched by the law-making authority.
1t begins to look as though every Re-
publican statesman thought it his duty
TO advocate some method of taking
power from the peoplc.-New York
News.
Aga II for Democrat. c Movement.
The plan frequently advocated In
these columns that United States Sena-
iors be chosen by the people direct in
stead of by the Legisla lures has gained
strength in consequence of the selec-
ions made i'll various parts of the co,ln-
ry during the past week. ana if the
question of adopting it could be decided
~ the voters next month the chances
Ire that there would he Il substantial
majority in the affirmative.
In New York State the wishes of the
Republican voters were undoubtedly
arried out by the legislators, but It
would have been much more satisfac-
DRY if Platt could have been candi-
late openly last November. The result !
would have been the same, but we
would have had the satisfaction of |
earlier that there was no
hance for Choate.
In Illinois, on the other hand. the |
legislature gave the public genuine |
urpTiSe by choosing n storytelling pol !
tician known as BILLY" Mason. He
hight have been elected by the voters
l November last had he been nom-
lated by his party, but the chances are
"a if he had been confronted with the
rdeal of campaign he would not
ave been selected.
The worst feature of the present sys
IN is found in the States in which con-
,stS are still going on. In several OF
le far Western States that are either
,ctional differences. or the member
hip of the Legislatures is split UP
mong three partieS-Republican
and Populists-so that
either has majority. The outcome
Il contest under these circumstances
generally the election of some non
ltity who has either money or cor
oration backing and the interests of
1 The people are made TO suffer in
Were the Senators elected by popu
l. vote. such dcmoraiizing dead-locks
ould be avoided, Il better class of men ,
ould be secured, as Il rule, and there ,
ould be no danger of betrayal of the (
ust of the people by venal legislators {
as is SO often the case in States in
hich the Republicans are in Il major
Y. while the real choice of a party
ould always be sure of getting what ,
, deserves. 1t would take conSideri !
> time. however. 10 alter the Consti- (
ton so that such a result could be ,
hieved. New York News.
America and Its Money.
1t is given ont, upon the authority OF
'nator WalcOtt, that President-elect ;
cKinley. while not desiring 10 pose as (
silver man. is in favor of intcrnatiOn-
action upon the silver question.
This statement seems like offering
sks 10 4 nation which is in financial 4;
,ryation. owing TO the extreme search
of money. That the money powers
le the old worl1 is evident. Their i
1uencc is felt in the hovel aud upon :
G throne. No relief from that quar- {
/. can be cXpected-not at least for 5
~ time. And yet the demand for !
,rc American money is immediate f
d pressing. o