Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-05-04

him toto cCelo. They appear to have
adopted the theory enunciated BY Hon.
Webb Flanagan of Texas in his famous
interrogatory. "What are we here for p
which went to the marrow of things
and which will go laundering down the
ages. II Mark is addicted to the poets,
when he reads this, and in his mind !
eye sees Senior Jose's /, 500 Mexican del
egates tramping into the convention
hall and realizes the utter impossibility
Of lassoing his 6, 000 Philippine dele
gates by that time, he will exclaim:
Q star eyed science. hast thou wandered there
To bring us back the tidings of despair
The Senatorial Question.
The people appear TO be getting in
earnest dead earnest about electing
senators of the United States by popu-
lar vote, and when the people undertake
thing in dead earnest they usually
succeed. Not long since | referred to
what appeared to be systematic effort
ON the part Of the legislature of Penn
sylvania to accomplish this much desired
reformation in our politics; also TO the
pregnant fact that ex-senator John
James Ingalls, of Kansas had begun a
crusade for the same purpose. The fol-
lowing dispatch shows that old Vir-
ginia, the mother of presidents, pro-
poses to lend her potent influence in be-
half Of the good cause:
RIcHMoED, April 1.-THE coming Demo-
cratic convention for the determination of the
question of nominating United States senator's
in this state By primary IS thought to be the
beginning of movement to have senators
elected by the people. The Richmond conven.
tion, which is { o l.:eet here on the I1th of Nav
will not only declare in favor Of the nomina-
tion Of senators by the people, but will adopt
resolutions demanding that the two senator's
from Virginia shall commit themselves in IA
vor Of the adoption by the senate Of an amend
ment to the constitution allowing the people
to elect the senators by popular vote
The Democratic leaders, who are behind the
movement in Virginia, are perfecting the most
thorough organization TO the end that this
fight shall be successful. The newspapers Of
the state are almost unanimous in giving their
approval TO the plan of electing and nominat
ing senators by the people.
As have stated before, there can be
no valid argument urged against the
election cf senators by the people, for
the closer to the many we get the better
off we will be-
A Fortune Unclaimed
All honest men without regard to
party creeds or affiliations ought to IA
vor some method of electing senators
which will prevent nauseating scandals
like the one described in the following
editorial from the Washington Post
A fortune of $50. 600 IN 30 bills OF the demon
ination of $1,000 is in the hands of the state
treasurer of Montana. quietly awaiting the ar
rival of claimant who can prove his title
clear. This Is not wealth beyond the dreams
Of avarice,' but is greater fortune than the
average citizen can Lope to possess, no matter
how hard he strives Fifty years ago there
were prosperous states not dozen Of whose
citizens owned as much as $50. coo. Today there
are millions Of prosperous and thrifty farmers
and mechanics who are esteemed we'll 10 do,
whose sons and daughters are being hberally
educated. bat whose entire estates are not
worth $1,000 The citizen who in the product
i've period of his life can lay by $500 a year is
especially favored of fortune. Il would re-
quire great many years with his savings
safely invested to pile up $4,000
And yet there are those 20 bills, each good
for 81 900 i'll gold, lying idle in the custody Of
the treasurer of Montana not turned into the
public exchequer because the state does not
own them. Ii not only docs not own them bnt
it has failed in sundry efforts to find out who
is their lawful proprietor. 1t knows the man
from whose hands the money came into its
possession, bui he ays it is not his, and he
cannot prove that lie got it in the way he says
he did.
When the long and bitter senatorial fight was
or, few weeks ago, legislator charged that
attempt had been made to buy his vote and
that Of two other memterS FOR $1,000 each.
This virtuous statesman declared that the at
tempted bribery III the interest Of Clark,
the multimillionaire candidate who finally ear
ried off the prize and is senator elect TO the
Fifty congress. OF course there was an
investigation. a which he member produced
the $4,000, declaring hat he had taken It in
order to entrap he Clark party. One of the
ather two were to divide tho pile confirmed
the statement, but the third gave it total
and emphatic denial Then tne grand jury
took hand in the inquiry, but failed TO indiet
for lack of evidence. And there the matter
was dropped.
But the money was still ON hand. Mr.. Clark
declared that it did not belong and never had
belonged to him. OF course lie could not re-
eeive IT, His theory was that his opponent
had furnished the sso,0e0 TO put up Q '-jab' ON
him. Tie member who turned in the wad
could not take it back without virtually con-
frlning Clark's explanation.
We have seen it pointed out hundred times
as a disgrace 10 the country, but it is nothing
Of the kind. 1t is a seandalous affair and
would brand the guilty party with infamy if
he could lie identified, but il does not touch
the honor OF the nation.
Harmony ON the Surface.
Evidences accumulate of that skin
deep harmony" which prevails among
Republicans and which must cause
them TO think of frost every time they
contemplate the campaign of 1900.
Chauncey Ives Filley, the erstwhile
king of Missouri Republicans, was ruth
lessly discrowned Ey Marcus A. Hanna
in 1896. bnt Uncle Cbauncey is not dead
by a jugfui He isn't even sleeping.
He is not saying much. but after the
manner Of the ITishman's owl he is
Keeplng up a divil of a thinking he
is biding his time, and those familiar
with his habits say that he takes his
daily exercise by whetting his knife. No
man living knows better how to use
that indispen sable article of modern POI
litical warfare than he Those who
have experienced the keenness of that
knife in thei- own flesh would cheerful
ly swear that for the old saying, sHell
hath no fury like woman scorned,
there ought to be substituted this mod
ern version, Hell hath no fury like
Uncle Chauncey when robbed Of his
crown. A she bear deprived of her
cubs is in a heavenly frame of mind
compared with the mental condition of
Mr.. Filley since Mark snatched from
him his baton of command threw him
down. rolled him, dumped him. How
to get even with his undoer has been
the constant theme of Uncle Filley since
the dog days of 1896 He is fertile in
inventions, and be seems to have at
last evolved from his inner conscious
ness a plan which will upset Mark.
The ST. Louis Republic says:
A prominent Filley Republican is authority
for the statement that the anti Mckinley Re
publicalis Of the country are perfecting ma
tional organization for the purpose Of defeat
ing the Haiina Mckinley element at the polls
Mckinley.
Orr plans are being quietly perfected.
said The Informant, bat are sufficiently de-
yeloped TO show that we have very good
chance not only % defeat Mckinley, but also
to elect il candidate Of our own.
1T has been raciicaily decided not TO OPP
pose Mckinley at the convention, but TO wait
until he IS nominated 1hen we win nominate
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