The herald., 1898-03-07
n OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
. Constitutional Changes : !
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BY ABBOT KINNEY

IHere are TWO amendments 10 the led
eral constitution that are everywhere rec
ognized to be of great Importance to the
best interests of our country. Indeed,
thinking men all over the country consider
them necessary for the safety Of the re-
public.
Yet no earnest work has been done to
secure these changes in our fundamental
law. For some considerable time the dan
gers of the situation have been discussed.
These two amendments are (irsD election
of senators by direct vote of the people;
(second abolition of the electoral college
in the election of president and vice pres
ident of the United States, the vote for
these officers In the states to be direct and
without the present 81 perfuous and dan
gerous intermediariest
The amendment to IL constitution in re-
gard to the function and duty of the eec-
toral college was made in fact long ago.
The electoral college became early in our
history a super1uity. For years the col
lege has not considered or selected a presi-
dent or vice president, but has merely con-
firmed officially a popular vote in the states
already taken No elector has yet be-
trayed this unwritten amendment, which
really deprived him of choice. The law,
| however, still permits such individual
choice as to president and vice president.
Such an anomaly should not continue. 1t
| Is dangerous every day 1t lasts. Already
on several occasions our institutions have
been put to severe strain through the work
| ings OF the electoral college. Every sane
man knows that the crisis of the Hayes
Tilden election hurt the supreme court,
and, with a less patriotic man than Tilden,
would probably have precipitated a civil
| war
This situation demands a change. In the
| election of senators there have been sew
eral occasions when candidates for senator
have gone before the people and virtually
| committed the legislature of the state to
confirm the popular verdict. To this ex-
| tent the constitutional provision as to SEN
| atorial elections has been in fact amended
In large number of cases bitter per-
sonal contests for the senatorial honors
have completely nulliaed the action Of
legislatures on state interests. In some in
| stances legislatures have been unable to
organize or work at all owing to such con-
| tests.
1t is conceded that men have been
chosen senators whose only element Of
strength was wealth. Scandals of de-
| plorable character have developed in their
legislative choice of senators. A sena-
torial election always interferes with the
efficiency of legislature as to Its real
duties, and, besides this, sets up the
standard for success in candidates of the
legislature Of the personal ambitions Of
senatorial candidates sometimes known to
the public and sometimes not. Men are
consequently nominated and elected to
state legislatures upon the sole question
OF whom they will support for senator
The question of their fitness and capacity
as legislators Is secondary, or not con-
sidered at all. This leads to dangerous
abuses. The least of these is poor or III
considered laws and the worst corruption
and blackmail.
Amendments to the constitution to
change the election of senators and make
these elective by direct vote of the peo-
pie have several times passed the house
or representatives, once unanimously, but
have hitherto failed in the senate.
The state of California on a test vote
gave an overwhelming majority in favor of
the election Of United States senators by
popular vote. All Of the political parties
in California should unite in pledging their
congressional candidates and our next SEN
ator to conscientious work to secure these
changes.
The American people should promptly
| correct the dangers lurking in the electoral
| college, and they should be equally urgent
In changing the present system Of cleo
tion of senator's, so often tainted by sus-
| picion of unworthy methods.
The most necessary amendment to the
state constitution Is in regard to the tax
ing OF ocean-going ships by the state and
municipality. This system creates a fatal
handicap to ocean ship owning. This con-
stitutional amendment for the state should
be on the following lines: All ships opera
ted on the ocean outside of the marine
league and jurisdiction and protection OF
the state of California to be freed from
state or local taxation and placed on an
equal footing with those states and nations
not taxing such ships, and to free Cali
fornia ocean ships from their handicap. .
The reason for this IS that outside of the
marine league general and not state law
is in force, and that on the open ocean
the only protection to the California shin
is from the federal government. The state
or city can do nothing to compensate the
ship owner for the tax he pays. 1t is not
just tax.
Under this system, New York, without
such taxes, is increasing its ocean fleet.
whereas California, with these taxes, has
no ocean going fleet at all. Our system has
simply killed the ocean shipping business
in California. Even such ocean going
ships as are owned In California are prac-
tically all registered in other states o.
under a foreign flag.
The American desires to see his flag again
cover the ships that do the vast commerce
of this country on the ocean. The Cali
fornian should surely be ready to meet his
fellow countrymen in their patriotic desire.
He should be specially ready to aid where
1t Is only necessary on his part to re-
move tax that is fatal folly in policy
without revenue returns and essentially
unjust.
Beer Mugs Four Feet High