The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-08-03
CONCLUDED FROM THIRD PAGE !

| Presidential electors were chosen by
the State legislatures and they were
still 80 chosen by South Carolina till
after the late war. Even since the
choice OF electors was committed to
the people, by State action the Consti-
tutional provision still gives the elect
ors the absolute right to vote irrespec-
tive Of the will of their constituents
and that electors have ordinarily
enough not aIWaye) obeyed the will OF
those voting torthem is a tribute to the
force of public opinion which in this
respect has been more powerful than
the Constitution, end without formal
amendment has reversed the mode of
election prescribed and contemplated
| by that instrument.
The Senate is etill not elective By the
people. In many States the people
have attempted to apply to
THE ELECTION OF U S. SENATOR
the same method which has captured
the choice of the executive by making
the members OF the Legislature q~ood
hoe electors, pledged like Presidential
! electors to vote for q nominee named
by a popular convention. But the
plan has not always worked ~satisfac
torily and has been tried 10 only some,
not all, the States. A Constitutional
amendment rnsekc5 the Senators OF
each State by TIE votes Of It's people in
| stead Of It's legislature has more then
once passed the lover House OF Con-
gress and once at least by a unanimous
| vote, but the Senate itself has always
| defeated this measure to give the peo-
! pie more power in their government.
In this day, when we have 80 many
| startling instances Of the power Of vast
| corporations in determining the choice
Of Senators, and the scandal and *
penee Of prolonged sessions Of State
legislatures taken up with the selection
OF a Senator-aduty which the people
could discharge more satisfactorily
and without any expense, by electiDg
the Senator on the same day members
OF Congress are chosen-it is more
than ever imperative that the Consti,
sutton should be revised and made
democratic IN the mode Of choosing the
Senator'S.
Not only did the Constitution bar the
people from ayp5Ce in the election of
Senators ard Presidant, but as afurther
check it placeH ia the hands of the
Executive the VETO power upon any
action of the Representatives chosen by
the people to the lower House if by any
chance that will should also be voiced
by the Senate. The veto power has not
been exercised By the monarchy or
ministry 10 England for
NEARLY rive CENTURIES.
It certainly has no proper place in a
Republic in which the will of the pee.
pie duly expressed, in an orderly and
proper manner. BY their chosen repre-
sentatives shouldbe the law Of the land
till changed ia she same mode. The
veto is an anachrpnism and is in fact g
survival from times when the peoples
representatives could not legisIate
without the assent OF the monarch ex
pressly given to each oct. GoIdwin
Smith, in his Political History OF the
United States, correctly describes our
President as being IAN elective king
with powers very far surprising those
of the English and equalled by very
4 fnW 80
But by far the most dangerous, the
most undemocratiel and unrepublican
feature of the Constitution, and the
one most subjeettpt abuse is the mode
of selecting the Federal Judges. They
are not only sel6ced without the peo-
pie having any tsics whatever in the
choice of this important class of their
servants, but they are selected by the
Executive, whom, by she Constitution
the people were TO, have no voice il
choosing and are eutjsct TO confrma-
tion by that branch of the legislature
in whose selection the people still have
no voice. To ~aggravate the matter
still further these servants are sp
pointed for life cid mistakes, or bliss,
or private iLAdsEee, exerted in their
selection are beF61d correction. Our
government is .E<
BASED ON Pueblo OPINION
A decent regard Tor the opinions of
mankind was averred in the great
Declaration Of the Fourth of July, 1776
Public opinion when formally expressed
by our servants freely chosen in our
statute law. And when expressed with
more formelity is u organic law.
Yet by a process in which the people