Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-04-06

demand In Delaware and California
this failure to elect was elszrly the re-
salt Of the corrupt uss Of money.
II Pennsylvania should fail 70 elect
Is wiz be the Ersf time in Cur history
that four states have been r~eprazented
for two years al one time BY only one
senator each Three statas-Washing-
ton, Montana and WyOming-fAiled to
elect in 1893 The truth Is that this
habit Of failing 10 elect sznators the
fashion Of unbnezksbls deadlock Is On
the increase Most unfortunately 90 /
regret 70 say that Missouri set the had
example in lS55 on account Of the bit
ter fend between the Bentonites and
Enti-Bentonites; but there was no cor
rupfion about that historic quarrel II
Wa a marvellous manifestation Of the
feroeity Of the human passions. bat II
was q bad example nevertheless that
Missouri set for her sister states, and
they are following il with too much
frequency.
But Missouri could not have set the
evil example. and the other states could
not have followed it, II senators had
been elected By a direct vote Of the peo-
pie. because in that case q deadlock a
thing imposzihle.
los Legislators Honest
Now. be il distinctly understood that
] am not charging that all state leg5sla-
tors. or q majority Of them or any large
percentage Of them, are corrupt, for !
do not believe IL I doubt II q majority
Of any Legislature ever assembled in the
United States was amenable 70 corrupt
Influences except some Of the legisla-
lures in the southern states during the
reconstruction period Undoubtedly
corrupt men, q comparatively small per
cent get into many legislatures. but in
most eases IL Is this small Per cent of
corrupt members who produce the dead
locks and who elect Doodle United
States senators For instance, In the
legislature Of the state Of Alleghania.
the Republicans may have barely
majority on joint ballot An Of that
majority except q may be for A, q
capable. honest and respectable Repub-
hean for United States senator. hut the
one exceptional member OF the lesisla-
ture may be corrupt and may be hired
BY b to vote for him and to Absolutely
refuse to vote for A OF for anybody
elsa Then one Of two things ensuss:
(1) The honest Republicans are driven
into voting for B., or (al an unhreak-
able deadlock ensues and no senator Is
elected. OF course il Is an extreme case
where only one corrupt member Of a
state legislature can control the eitna-
ton, but il can be done. Two or three
or a half dozen could do it more easily,
but not more certainly. Even one very
stubborn man, perfectly honest, may
prevent the election Of q senator. Ny
recollection Is that that is precisely
what happened in Wyoming in 1893.
The Democrats had only one majority
On joint ballot, but one Democratic
member would not vote for the eaucns
nominee, and the Democrats could not
or would not agree on anybody else.
No senator vas elected / dom Temem-
Der eyer to have read OF heard any
charge against the integrity Of the re-
caicitrant member. But his stubborn
ness knocked the state out of one Unit
ed States senator for two years and the
Democratic party out Of one United
States senator for sir years; for the
legislature elected in 1894 was Repub-
icsn and elected q Republican senator.
A csnAsn Nuisance.
This evil Of unbreakabls deadiocks
and failure to elect United States sena-
tors is net political II pertains to all
parties II is inherent in the system.
1t is a nuisance which should Be abated
pro bono publeo
Get back 10 the people They win
elect senators Just az they do governors,
congressman and presidential electors.
A long time ago. In several states, pres
dental electors and state officers were
elected by the leg~islaturea Nobody has
ever claimed that the officers 80 elected
were in anywise superior to those elect
ed by the people In the course Of time il
has come 10 pass that in every state the
people elect their own officers By a plu.
rality vote except in Connecticut, which
insists on a majority, and where no
ma receives majority in that ancient
commonwealth for q state once the
election Is thrown into the legislature
That very thing happened q few years
ago, and the Legislature got up an IN
meakabls deadlock, and the old govern
or 'beld over during q fun term 70
which he was eve elected
Make United States senators elective
BY a plurality Of the popular vote, and
We viii have heard the last Of deadlock
and failures to elect. Fewer multimil-
honaires and corporation attorneys viii
sif in the senate Of the United States
u b average Of brains. patriotism
and learning win be in no way dimin-
ished On the contrary, they win be in
creased