The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-11

washington. Aarca ,, lSs>
To the Editor: BY ITS decision in the
matter Of the application OF Hon. Henry
W. Corbeit for seat In the senate by viz
tue OF a commission appointing him 10
iii a vacancy issued by the governor OF
Oregon. q decision having the sanction
of over two-thirds OF the senator's. The
senate served notice on the legislatures Of
the forty-fve states that they must elect
senator's 10 ill vacancies or their seats
VIII remain vacant until they DO 50. III
notifies state legislators that the only way
10 keep a state delegation full. 10 give
each state its equal suffrage in the ssn-
ate Is for the legislature 10 elect or
course there are exceptions 20 the rule.
such as the case OF q senator dying during
the recess OF the legislature. when the
governor may appoint. But II the iegis-
iature having a chance 10 elect 10 MI an
actual or prospective vacancy fails Tor
any reason to elect, the governor cannot
appoint a man who will be admitted 10
a seat in the senate Should the WASH
ington legislature, which VIII meet next
January, fail or refuse 10 elect man 70
fill the seat OF Senator Wilson. which Will
become vacant next March. the governor
need not go to the trouble 10 appoint any
one to I'll the vacancy which will hap
PEN on the Sd Of March, 1888. by expira-
ton OF term. 1t would be loves labor Loss.
II Is useless 10 argue whether the de-
cision is just or unjust. The senate, by
more than a two-thirds majority. after
considering the question for n year, ana
after the most elaborate and searching ar
gument. decided against the contention
that the governor has the right 10 APP
point whenever a vacancy happens 10
exist, and in favor OF the claim that the
power of the governor In the matter OF
appointing senators is limited power.
10 be exercised on rare occasions
There is little. doubt that the decision
in the Corbeft case was. in some measure,
brought about by the belief that II was
owing to the influence of Mr.. Corbett that
the Oregon legislature. majority or
whose members were pledged to the cleo
ton Of Senator Mitchell failed 10 organ
ize. that II was the influence Of Mr.. Cor
bett and the Oregonian that made little
over a third of the members OF the oregon
house take to the woods and defeat
the win of the people. II is currently re-
ported here that the money which was
paid the oregon legislators TO stay away
from the state capitol was supplied by Mr..
Corbett OF course no one knows whether
these stories are true. 1 hope they are
false, but II is certain that they had con-
siderable influence on the decision.
1t Is very evident to my mind that the
senate takes the ground that, as 1t has the
sole power to Judge OF the elections. re-
turns and qualifications of It's own men,
bers." and congress has the right to
regulate the times and manner" OF elect
ing senator's Ii has the sole power to de-
clare In what cases a governor may APP
peint to I'LL a vacancy which may hap
. PEN during a recess of the legislature.
In the Corbett case it very emphat-
ieally declared that a governor cannot APP
point when the vacancy happens" by
failure of the legislature 20 obey the law
80 Ell hn "a
garded as final and conclusive.
have been somewhat amused at the
scare heads put over the sensational
kilograms sent from here by "Our own
Correspondent" anent the Maine. / live
In hotel In the center of Washington.
and my daily duties bring me in contact
with many OF the populace. and up to date
have not heard as much war talk as
would fill quarter of column in your
largest reading matter type. All / have
heard is TO the effect that we must find
out, and find out in such an unmistakahle
manner that the world Will be convinced,
that the Maine was blown up by or at the
instigation OF the Spanish governm ant.
before we call upon that government 10
stand the consequences. Nowhere outside
of the yellow journals have the people
expressed any other idea. The speech
made by Senator Mason was received in
silence by the crowded galleries of the
senate while the impromptu, electrifying.
patriotic speech of Senator Wolcott in re-
ply was received with hearty approval.
was the emphatic. cool and determined
utterances OF Senator Lodge. who fol-
lowed
In my humble judgment the United
States cannot afford to engage In a war
with Spain. because the war In Cuba Is
carried on pretty much as our Indian wars
used TO be, when both sides were guilty
Of acts the unco guild call barbaric Nor
do / believe the United States can afford
TO brave the opinion OF the civilized world
by going to war because one OF our war
vessels was blown up In such a manner
that no more is known OF the cause Of
the explosion three weeks after II occurred
than was known by the world two hours
after the first sound was heard. II Il had
been shown within a day or two after the
explosion that II was caused or ins;igated
by Spanish officials the world would have
justified the United States In taking pos
session Of Havana ard prosecuting an I'M
relenting war against Spain. No man Is
more jealous OF American honor than I,
but IL Is not possible for me 10 desire
that the United States should be put In
the position Of trained athlete "wol-
luping" An old imbecile for fancied or
real insult. II Is hard to stand the Span
ish style or treating the United States
Its bombastic. lying style Of diplomacy its
Misunderstanding ministers. like De LONE
its shifts and evaS ons but II Is far better
to stand them vet awhile than 10 win
the contempt Of the world. as Germany
did by wrincing A few thousand dollars
out Of The negro republic, or "a England
did out OF little Central American "a
public. by the display of gunboats Should
IL develop that the Maine was wrecked hv
Spanish design and agencies. the only
decent thing the United States can do Is
~ wipe Spain of the map Of nations. and
10 make It's page in history n warning Cor
all other nations to deal honorablv and
righteousiy with the rest Of mankind
II does seem 70 me that tina United
States would be greatly benefited by war
with some powerful foreign nation. II
would stimulate our national pride, would
weld us into a more Homogeneous people
would destroy all ideas OF differences be-
tween The Fast and the West che Nor'h
ard the South but that war should Do
wased with some foeuan worthy ~ our
best efforts. Have we enough cause os
complaint against Germany 20 warrant
war; Sometimes Il looks so. Have we