The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-19
Election OF U. 5. Sena tors by the People

In 1fSf scarcely a state elected it's
governor and higher officials by popu-
lar vote. Now there is no state in the
forty-1ve which elects its Governor by
the legislature. Why should each of
those states continue to elect its two
senators by a method it has condemned
as to the election of it's governor? The
interest of consolidated wealth in the
election of senators is far greater than
it is in the choice of governors, and the
corrective of popular choice is there
fore more needed.
A little consideration will show that
under the present system it is possible
for a skilful combination (and money
combinations are always skilfuD to
secure the United States senator in each
of the close states if it can obtain con-
troll of one sixteenth of the voters or
even less. Let us see. Take a close
state which casts 400, 900 votes. A ma
jority Of the legislature is elected from
counties having 200, 600 votes, or less
when (as is often the case) there is a
gerrymander. A majority of the eau
Gus, which sontrols the party's choice,
is therefore chosen from counties hav-
ing 100000 votes. But nearly half of
these We're of the opposite political
party, leaving the majority of the eau
Gus, which controls the party's choice,
members were nominated in the con-
ventions in their respective counties
by a majority only of their party, i. e.,
by delegates representing say Is, 600
voters or less, which is one-sixteenth
of the 400, 900 voters of the state. The
money combinations to whom the
choice Of senators is all-important have
money and skillful manipulators. They
pick their counties. By furnishing free
tickets or transportation to the con
v%entions over railroads and by other
methods, it is easy to secure the requi-
site delegates in the county party con
ventions, who represent these 25, 900
voters, and thus name the nominees
who shall, when elected, constitute a
majority of the caucus which shall
name the senator. The counties belong
ing to the minority party are neglected
by the manipulators, as also are the
counties belonging to the majority par
ty, which are difficult to handle. The
money combinations wastes no money.
That this is not a fanciful sketch will
be recalled by the many instances in
divers states in which the caucus NOM
inee of the money power has received
one or two majority in the caucus. II
is true this great disparity could hap
pen Ouly in close states, but it demon
strates hat in any state the election OF
senator a be controlled by a small
but skillful minority under the pres
ent system.
There is another objection to the
election of the United States senators
by the legislature, in that the voters OF
the dominant party residing in coun-
ties in which the party is in a minori-
ty are utterly without influence or voice
in the selection Of senator's, whereas in
the election of senator by popular vote
every voter, irrespective of the county
of his residence, would have an oppor-
tunity to express his wishes. In such
an election the United States senator
must be the expressed choice at the bal
lot box Of more voters than shall cast
their ballots for any other man. and
his nomination must be made by the
majority in the nominating convention
of the successful party representing
therefore, sly at least ~one-fourth of the
voters, subject to approval by a ma
jority of the whole people at the ballot
box. By this method of election, a
United States senator must be the
choice of the state he represents as full
ly as the governor is. In the present
mode of legislative election, the voice
of his own party is stified and unrep-
resented in all these counties in which,
being in the minority, it shall fail to
elect the member Of the legislature.
Then again, the voters of the counties
electing members of the legislature be-
longing to the dominant party are also
disfranchised if those members do not
belong to the majority faction of the
caucus.
Another very serious objection to the
legislative mode of choosing senators
is the frequent "dead-Iocks," or pro-
tracted contests. which take up a large
part Of the time which should be de-
voted to the legitimate duty of legisla-
ton. The expense to the public is no
small item, and the frequent attendant
scandals are no edifying, and all this
could be avoided by choosing United
States senators the same day and by
the same method the members of the
lower house Of congress are chosen.
The selection of members of the legis-
lature often with an eye solely to their
preferences for senator and In total dis
regard of their fitness for legislation or
views on public questions or their per-
sonal characters. frequently leads to
serious Inconvenience. It is no proper
part of a legislators functions or du-
ties to be an elector for senator, and
the two duties should not be combined.
Members of congress are not constitut-
ed electors for president. Yet they