The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-02
HAS SENATE DEGENERArED.
An Opinion on the Question by a
Member of the B0dN.

The April Forum contains a notable ar
Icle by Senator Hoar entitled HAS the
the existence of a widespread and growing
Impotence with the condition of things IN
the Senate, and that this feeling of dis
INSTRUMENTATION. even-seems 10 be
growing among the men who. if the Senate
be what the trainers of the constitution
meant and hoped. should be its strongest
supporters. He admits that in recent years
the Senate has often failed in its duty to
enact measures which the public desired.
and which a majority or its membership
favored, by reason of distractions 10 the
will of the majority. Senators who have
great measures in their charge are COM
PEELED TO sit in veXed and angry Impotence
while other senators pour out an eternal
stream of inane and empty chatter. chatter,
chatter about matters which have no pres
ent practical Importance whatever. use
the plural-senatorS. / am somewhat Doubt
full whether / should do that. Certainly the
men who have ever done so can be counted
on the fingers of one hand" This evil. In
ton i'm the Senate of the 'pestflent ana
prevalent" evil which is showing itself else
where in many parts OF the country. the
attempt by minoritieS to prevent the con-
stitutional action of majoritieS whenever
the minority happen not TO like IL. But ne
thinks that a practical cure can be round
for these evils if only the Senate can nave
the support of an aroused. wise and Well
instructed public sentiment. The cure VIII
not be found in incorporate reviling OF the
senate, or in passionate expressions OF de-
spalr for the Republic" The senator sug-
gests as remedies: First, that laws DC en-
acted furnishing, by sufticient penaItles.
every senator or representative Who absents
himself from the body to which he belongs
for the purpose of preventing the exercise
of it's constitutional functions. and oeciar-
ing that such absences shall operate as a
resignation of the seat. second. the auop-
ton of a rule which shall secure reasonable
opportunity to vote in the Senate and at the
same time secure reasonable debate and
reasonable amendment. when these
things are accomplished we shall have done
everything we can TO cure the evll unul
we shall elevate and purify the chaTdcteI
of the people itself. The stream will not
rise higher than its source
Having admitted the truth or so mucn
that is said in condemnation OF the senate,
the senator then states some Things tnat
| ought to be said in its favor. He compares
the Senate of to-day with mat Oh lofty
stricken down in the Senate chamber Tor
defending liberty-his comely and beautiful
head the target for a ruffian' biudge9n
i'm a state of maudlin intoxication; or when
Sumner likened Douglas TO the nolsome,
his tongue and filled the Senate with an
| offensive odor-therein quoting an epithet
once applied to Lord North. In the House
of Commons And he thinks that I'VE
have a right TO say that the evil influences
of the lobby in legislation for private and
not public ends. which. like the ointment
of the hand, betrayed themselves in the
atmosphere of the Senate chamber and IN
its Corridors. are all gone to-day. We have
a right TO saw that drunkenness, which eX-
listed when / first entered public life. IS moi
known there to-day, and that senators no
longer bring whisky-soaked brains to meet
the high demands of the public service,
We have a right TO say that the use OF
executive patronage for personal advance
ment-so that each senator who supported
the administration had a little army of fol-
lowers devoted to his personal interests,
supported at the public cost-haS gone by
We have a right TO say. also. that II Inn
portant legislation. demanded for the public
welfare. is often defeated by obstructive
measures or prolonged and needless de-
bate now, for the eighty years while slav-
cry ruled. and while the strict State rights
construction prevailed. such legislation was
not even introduced and its chances were
not worth considering We have "A right TO
say that the work the senators now give 10
the public service, day and night. Is a con-
either house of Congress. save to a very
few persons. fifty years ago.
The senator closes his article with this
eloquent appeal: Let us not think or
speak of these. the best days of the Ameri-
can republic. as if they were the worst.
Let us trust the Republic and the ideas
which are it's strength and safety. Renown
which builded the Union. and the patriotism
that saved il, burns brightly and purely "a
ever i'm the bOs0mS OF the people. The
youth who are pressing forward TO take
their share i'm our citizenship are not a
whit behind their sires either in love OF
their country or in their capacity to gov
ern il. Let us not forever be fixing our
gaze upon warts and blotches. To the
wisdom of experience let US add, as our
81 eat Teacher told US. the wisdom of hope,
and let hope and trust and instinct claim
a share In the guidance OF affairs