The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-04-30

ConsulJ ana a senate anu inc
a republic I'm official documents anu plo,
ceedings long centuries AFTER 'he -
power had passed from the curla ana 'ne
comitIa to the barracks of the Pretorian
Guards. and when there was no VIII III
Rome save that of their master.
Years after the victor OF Mareneo mao
been crowned Emperor and the sword Oh
Austerlitz had become the supreme power
I'm France the French coins and oflclai
| documents still bore the superscriptohs
Of the republic. The nature OF a gov
rnmen is not determined by us forms
and titles. These usually remain un-
changed long after the governing power
has become vested elsewhere.
IS 1T MONEY OR MEN?
What boots 1t If on parchment we shall
| continue TO read hat "All political power
is vested In and derived from the peo-
| pie; all government of right originates
from the people, Is founded upon their
will only aud IL instituted solely for the
good of the whole" II IL Is not a living
potential. actual truth? II. as a matter
Of fact. great corporations. through their
agents. whether lobbyists or members OF
| the legislature Itself. can control a ma
iorlty OF that body. so that the choice
Of the corporations. and not the genuine
choice of the people is sent 10 the Fed
eraI Hall Of ambassadors to sit as a SEN
ator I'm Congress. then the parchment Gee
l~aration is a Haunting lie,
II gigantic combinations Of wealth can
elect or control ma ~ioritiCs In state legis-
Iatures or I'm Congress so as TO shape leg
islation. If they can be potent in the nom-
| nation and election OF Federal or State
officials, then the real governing power
vests in money, not i'm men. and your
boasted republic is but a once beauteous
form from which the spirit has already
departed.
This is tho question OF the hour, which
should be wondered M understood with
a full grasp Of its meaning and all the
consequences which must flow from the
displacement OF the centre or graNlty III
government. II this displacement mas
already m%easurably taken place OF IL
there is grave danger of 1t, the struggle
IN restore il will bring on the crisis
which must determine the real nature
of our government. For. mark you well
this fact. that if multimillionaires or vast
combinations Of capital have succeeded,
or shall succeed, TO the real control or
legislation. they ave only won It's pos
session because II can be Immensely Iro-
ftable to them, ami If profitable they
cannot afford to run the risk. from line
ia time. Of losing so profitable a DONNA
ton by popular agitation.
They will seek. If they have not already
done SO. TO strengthen themselves by Sc
curing the majority Of the Federal Sem
ate and an Influence in the executive
councils-and even more important than
that. the majority Of appointments 10
the Federal bench. whose life tenure ana
uncontrolled power of constituting consti-
tut;ons and statutes. will be of invalua-
BILE aid.
In Rome. where the augurs by reading
signs I'm the sky or inspecting the en-
trails OF fowls. could adjourn assemblies
Of the people by decreelng the day TO be
unluckv. the augirs were invariably Sc
lected by those IN power. the personnel
Of the augurs being indispensable Tor their
purposes. Nor. as time goes by, VIII
the matter stop even with the selection
OF judicial augurs. Agitation, public aei-
tatiop. affects values-that horrible bette
noire Of capitalism. Profound consti'u-
tional changes, either secured by express
enactment or read into the constitution
bv seryile Judges. must lessen the oppor-
tunitv for AGITATION by rendering II DOW
erless and the gradual increase md the
maintenance Of q large standing army
must prevent all thought OF resistance.
If the money power. as has been charged
and as is believed by many, IS already
largely i'm the control or government
state and national-then the steps just
described will he natural and necessary
TO protect and p%reserv. hat profitable
power in their hands. leaving the empty
forms OF a republic TO stand in silent,
but impotent protest.
ELECTION OF L. S. SENATORS.
On the other hand. If the control or
legislation is so hiel = profitable and inn
portant TO the money power. 1t viii he
an irreparable calamity TO the totfnS
masses TO lose il. The founders or the
republic fondly believed they had secured
II not only for themselves. but for their
posterity for all time. II the advocates
Of popular government win, they, IN turn,
still less than the money mower. can rest
easy In the victory with the organic law
remaining as 1t is.
Experience has shown its weakness and
its insuficiency. There are many points
recurring amendments. II would be te-
dlous. perhaps beyond my power, to point
out any EXCEPT the most obvious. The
election of United States Senator's by
State legislatures has been SO often a
perversion Of the popular choice and a
concession TO corporation influences that
the public sentiment 10 confer upon the
people of each State. instead OF its legis-
lature, the election of its Federal Sena-
tors is confined 10 no party and TO no
section.
The bill 10 amend the constitution IN
that respect has passed the lower House
of Congress more than once, at least by
"A unanimous vote. The corporations
have so far been able to prevent its pas
sage by the Senate itself.
The Federal Judiciary. by its mode or
appointment especially lays Itself open
10 the grasp OF great 'm~onopoies and
combinations who's influence In such
matters is asserted TO have become al
most irresistible Of recent years. The
life tenure of office. placing the occu-
pants OF the Federal bench beyond the
reach of public complaint If their trust
is abused. and the finally Of their power
as ipterpreters Of the constitution and
statutes. combine to make IL essential 10
the great monopolies 10 control the APP
pointments in this branch of the gov
eminent. There are unquestiOnably many
able and s~potlcss men on the FEDERAL
bench to-day. but II has been asserted,
and IL must be confessed not without
some foundation of fact. that II is rapidly
becoming the rule TO NIL such positions
with men whose life work has been that
Of counsel for great corporations ana
whose entire training is calculated 10
bias them upon all questions upon which
corporation interests and popular rights
must clash.
one Of the incidents of the coming
struggle will he a determined erort 10
make the Federal Judges elective by the
people Of their respective districts ana
circuits and for n term Of years.
This change has already been deemeh
necessary and decreed by nearly every
- NhAHA.