Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-11

A.. n,~hts OF the People
s.. ,u tbc Hands of the feop'e'

a.. letter NJ the Hon. James +. Epes, pun
,isbed in the Dispatch OF Apri 1'", ="
80 - on,oses the conference OF May
49,, ID IN. objects OF that conference
-. ,ccuses the distinguished Demo
-I. - siened the address or March
es.n 81 "importunately" disturbing uhe
rio AZ one of the people about whose
p,or, Mr. Epes is so solicitous, peS
90 cav that I am not and have not p'en
S,s,',rbed by the address, nor have L seen
any one who appeared TO be disturDeu. l
was glad to see the call Tor the conie'
once. | was glad that the Democrats Vi
the old-time Mother of States ana o'a,eo
me, were aroused sufficiently TO protest
ayainst the present un-Democratic method
Of electing senator's; glad that they nave
called on the Virginia Democracy To MAKE
a spurt and get closer to the head OF the
procession. ,o,
Mr.. Epes speaks OF the call as prefer
ring charges and making compiain,. |
While the call Is not an indictment OF any |
one i'm the State. 1t justly complains Oh INC
unfair. often unjust, and always un-Dein-
ocratic method now used for electinS |
tinted states senator's. But do not dis
cover in the address any symptom OF uh-
reasonable tenacity and insuperable per
severance" az charged by MT. Epes' One
circular letter cannot show either tenaci-
~ or perseverance. He speaks OF the Aie
ouency and care with which the peopic
have considered this matter, and the con,
sistency with which they nave resoiVeu
against the contemplated change III 'ne
netbod of election" When have the peo-
nio If Virginia considered this matter and
decided against It? When have they ever
voted on it? When have their represent
tatives i'm convention ever considered anu
voted on il when the subject was named
I'm the call for the convention but sup
pose they have decided against II IN the
mast: does it follow that they are thereDs
estopped from reconsidering the matter
When did obstinacy become characters
tic Of wise men? ,,s
1t is rather ungracefully that MT Epeo
sneers al the signers of the call LOT say ms
that nothing is ever decided uh.t
decided right" They have abundant YES
,,,,,on,, and evidence that they are right
| I'm demanding a change in the methou VI
| eIecting United States senator's; MT. HpeS
has, neither testimony nor evidence on
| bis side Is the present method OF eject
| ing senators right? Is 1t Democratlc'
that's the question Rip Van Winkie was
| n more 2-mInute napper TO the man VINO
| at this day, answers that question III the
| affirmative The present methou Is lai
| from government Of the people, py the
pcople. for the people; 1t puts premium
an nertlrv. bribery, and bossism. 1t IS
mere subterfuge TO oppose electoh ., sen
| ators by popular vote, on the ground that
| VIRGINIA legislators have never been
| hribed Granted that none of them nave
been bribed; yet when the population Oh
| the State. and the number ana power Oh
| the corporations in the State are doubled
| VIRGINIA legislators will be bribed, as le-
| s,iviotors are bribed in other states. Inc
neople of a State have no right TO SUBJECT
| their legislators 10 such temptation. Ike
| move the temptation before we nave
| scandal.
II is true that the majority of the IA
,hars who adopted the Constitution de-
oide5 AGAINST the proposed method. But
II WAS not given them to foresee the po-
| li,ical conditions of this day OF corpora
| tion and boss rule. And ii was not gwen
/ n them. nor is il given TO US TO legislale
| for all time. Mr. Epes says truly thal 'he
| Federal Constitution was accepted WHEN
| adopted. as "the most perfect charl Una
evor was drawn" Very true; but VINO
aver said il could never be improved! AZ
this very day it needs four amendments
| one I'm regard to the election OF sehaIOiS :
Mr.. Eues leaves us 10 INFER that, pecauS'
M the fourteenth and fifteenth amend
,,erts the Constitution must be altered
| again. In OtltI NotN w. eA~N''''''7
einca IL has been made worse, IL must nor
he made better. Yet he appears TO thihh
that II should be amended with the max
,r, "stare decisis." He would nave US
anchor ourselves TO that MAXIM " Vulu
no have had us abide for all time by the
Federal election laws? Would he nave inc
neople of the corporation ana Doss-rlouei
states abide until the crack OF DOOM Tue
election OF United States senators "
| bribery? Must we abide ior III uiiiS ~
,ha ircome-tax decision, by Dinglylsm
ia innerieIism. by the cowardce ana
chicanerv of the Alger-Hanna admlhlstrd-
| tion9 Conservatlsm-letting bad ehous"
oIone-has already kept Virginia BACK too
unch The residents Of our cemeteries
ore thoroughly conservative; they never
want a change. -, si,oo,,~r
7 ala not know, until Mr.. Epes discoVo'
ed II. that the signers or the can auNO
Gated senatorial primaries because JIM
States use that method. lie speahS
going into this thing blindly ana uhpi
naradlv. Popular election OF senators ha'
Soan oeitated for more than ten years
How many years does Mr.. Epes thlhh 'i'
neoule Of virginia need TO get their eye
I onen9 If a congressional district Oh LIZ
State can get its eyes open enough 10 eivO
Mr. Epes in a few months, surely III
whole electorate shoulb be prepared lOl
this question in ten years. IL Is not al
| argument against popular elecuoh oI syn
ators to say that South Carolina ah'
| Georgia got Virginia in trouble Amos
forty years ago. That does look d I.tl
like Adam laying the blame Oh EN'
Again. il is no argument against pOpu
= lar election OF senators TO say that VII
a oinia would be better off if certain Ike
nublfcan States continue to have DEAD
y locks. [ submit that that Is not patri
d otic utterance on the part of Mr. Epes
e The Constitution provides for two sena
tors from each State; that is part or on
II form of government. II senators wer
d elected by the people. the personnel o
e the senators from Republican. state
e would be different; at any rate, the cor
e marathon attorneys and tools would
cleared out of il.
u | did not see in the call for the Ma
II conference that general Impeachment o
F, all legislatures and of the Virginia Legis
e lature in particular, that Mr.. Epes hhd'
i Legislators are men-about average men
No man is suddenly endowed with omhls
II cience and perfection by being elected
a legislature. II insurance attorneys g
. into the Virginia Legislature and vote
y the interests of the insurance companie
u and against the interests OF the people
as some did in Richmond in 1885, other col
$ poration attorneys will do the same 10
a their employers; and If the employin
q eorporations have a candidate fer III
Ie United States Senate their attorneys WI
J. vote as they are directed 10 vote.
IL Finally, why are Senators Daniel an
Martin sitting on the fence in regard
this matter? Should the people of Nirgini
bow down and besech them to get In lir
to q.