Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-06-02
CHAMP CLARK'S LETTER
Election of Senators by
Popular Vote.
EVILS OF PRESENT METHOD.
Corrupt Legislatures a Menace
to the Republic.
A SUGGESTION TO THE VOTER.

Portions Of the Constitution Which Are
Inimical to the Great Body Of the Peo-
pie - Life Tenure of Federal Judges
Does Not Conserve the Public Good.
Electoral College Unnecessary Tom
Reeds Versatile Ear.
Especial Washington letter.
There can be no question that the vast
majority of the people of the United
States, irrespective of party opinions
and affiliations, want United States SEN
ators elected by a direct vote of the peo-
pie. They have so desired for a long
time. 1t is an insistent and growing de-
sire. The ~disgraceful performances of
the legislature of Illinois in 1891, of
the legislatures of Wyoming, Washing
ton and Montana in 1898, and of Ken
lucky and Oregon more recently have
filed the public mind with disgust and
alarm. The people are determined to re-
move this evil and menace to the repub-
lie into their own hands. Out of defer
nee to the public will the lower house
Of congress has several times voted by
more than the necessary two-thirds ma
jority to submit an amendment to the
constitution providing for the election
of senators by the direct vote of the
people. Just as often has 1t been defeat
ed or ignored by the senate. Quite re-
Gently the house voted, 1874 to IL, to sub
NIT such an amendment. In the debate
thereon Judge Powers of Vermont made
this startling declaration:
Sand further I will say that 1 have
e believed and / do not now believe
that the senate of the United States will
ever consent to any change of this kind,
no matter what form you put it in"
Senatorial warblers.
At first blush that would appear to
be the end of it, but it isn't. "a bird
that can sing and won't sing should be
made to sing Is IN old saying appli-
cable to the senatorial warblers. Fortu-
nately there is another ancient saw
which fits their case like q glove. It Is
this: "There are nor ways to kill a
dog than by choking him to death with
melted butter" AS though filed with
a prophetic fear that such selfish stub
bornness as the senate exhibits Oh this
subject might some day stand in the
way Of proper and patriotic amendment
to the constitution, the fathers provided
a way to amend it which the grave and
reverend seigniors will not dare to disre-
gard. Judge Powers called the attention
Of the house to that fact in these words:
1.-THE only way the amendment will
ever succeed before the people is by
first taking action ON the part of the
state legislatures themselves. My friend
recollects that our constitution provides
two ways by which amendments to the
constitution can be adopted-frst, by
the submission of the amendments, by
congress, to the legislatures Of the
states, and a ratification thereof by a
certain number of the states, and, Sec
ondly, by the action of the legislatures
themselves primarily taken. In that
case congress is obliged to take cogni-
zance of the demand"
I have for a long time been in favor
Of electing senators by popular vote.
The people can be trusted. The nearer
we keep our governmental affairs to the
great body of the people the better we
will DO off. In order to promote this
reform I suggest to the voters all over
the country and Of all parties to pledge
their representatives and senators in the
state legislatures:
First-To vote for a resolution in
structing their senators of the United
States to vote to submit such an amend
ment to the various states for ratifica-
ton.
Second-To vote in the legislature
for such an amendment.
Third.-To not vote for any man for
the senate of the United States who
will not pledge himself solemnly and in
writing to vote to submit such an
amendment.
Shortcomings of the Constitution.
As one-third of the senator's are elect
ed every two years and as it requires a
two-thirds vote of the senate to submit
object can be surely attained by follow
ing the foregoing programme for four
years
Two parts Of the constitution which
have proved utterly disappointing in
practice are the parts providing for the
election of United States senator's by
the people and the election of president
and vice president by the electoral col
lege, and these are precisely the por-
lions Of that wonderful document which
showed the distrust Of the constitution
al fathers for the wisdom and intelli-
gence Of the great body of the people
and in which they endeavored to o
vide machinery to remove the elections
from the great body of the voters and
to intrust them into the keeping of a Sc
lect few.
These two things, together with the
life tenure of federal judges, have given
the people more trouble than all the
rest of the constitution.
An analysis of the vote-1s4 to IL
by which the amendment recently pass.
ed the house will show that there is lit
tie Of partisan politics In this question.
Mr. Reeds Ear.
In my multifarious employments as
farmland, clerk in a country store,
schoolteacher, college president, country
editor, lawyer. prosecuting attorney,
presidential elector, state legislator,