The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-19
Chr Nesselwu.
1HE PEOPLE ARE FoR POPULAR
ELECTION OF Sf.s ATORS.


Every reader should e the
thoughtful, iacid, satisfactory commun-
ication in Sundays Messenger by Mr..
Justice Clark on election of United
States senator's. Like nearly all that
comes from his productive pen it is
well sustained by facts as we'll as ar
gument. II you will read it carefully
you will see just how easy and possible
tits for a combination of rascals to
capture the United States s~enatorship
under the present elastic and easily
corrupted system. So wide spread, so
imposing the conviction on the part OF
the people that already the legislatures
OF twenty-four states or more, and
North Carolina among them, have In
structed their members to vote for a
MEASURE looking to a change IN the
method OF electing United States n
tors. AS Judge Clark mentions the
III. s. senate las been the aus OF
this measure of relief In answer to a
demand of more than half the states
from becomin a law. The senate has
shown itself needless Of the public will.
There are no doubt other states ready
10 fall into line in this much needed
of relia # and protection against
schemers and money kings.
Only last week "Old Virginia." the
prolific mother of Estates and states
men, and of great captains in war,
took active measures in behalf of the
very much desired and needed change.
The Messenger referred to it's action.
Let every state in the west and south
unite In this common movement in be-
half of the people and honest elections.
If the New England states and the
middle states prefer to hold on to the
old rotten method, which has been the
mother of political harlotry and abuse,
leave them to do it, but let all the other
states in which higher ideals and mob
Ter sentiments and more sincere devo-
ton TO popular rights prevail see to it
that no more rich rascals and vicious
demagogues of the Hanna, Quay kind
buy their way into the senate. A dozen
such men have had seats in that once
imposing and in%corruptible body, in
which such senators as Calhoun and
McDufie, Macon and Badger, Bragg and
Graham, Berrien and Bell, Randolph
and Hunter once sat. Let the reign OF
the men of money bags and dicker
rather than character and brains cease
forever in the senate and in the coun-
try at large. This country cannot stand
much longer the fellows of the loW
type Of Mark Hanna, whose moral OBJ
honesty is dead if ever alive.
Popular elections for senators, we
repeat, are really necessary in the in
terests Of the whole country. How
can low down demagogues and politi-
Ca quacks and vicious buyers Of votes
and bargAiners for place become quail
fled to do right and observe the ends
of Justice? What gifts have they for
the advancement of the public veal or
the upbuilding of the honor and char-
acter of the country at large? They
/, are saturated with vice, immortality and
venality and know nothing really but
the arts of tricksters and corruptionists.
Look at the sad decay and the seri-
ously demoralizin~ results in Delaware
and Pennsylvania, in California n
Utah in their recent senatorial cleo
tons. In them you find object lessons
Lat this great country should never
forget. Owing to the prevalence of
trickery and corruption these four
states were unable to elect senators.
The long protracted contests so pre-
occupied the time and attention Of the
members of the legislature, that they
could find no opportunity for orderly,
needed legislation. So the public in
terests were neglected. 1t is known
that in Pennsylvania, and in Delaware
and in Montana and California bribery
was rife a L the generalization wide.
When public business must be neglect
ed to accommodate the Ubiquitous plans
of aggressive demagogues it is indeed
high time to make a change. The cor
rective-the only one possible-is to
give the election of senators to the peo-
pie, the source of all power. Let man
bers of the Federal congress-both
houses-be instructed to vote for the
positively requisite change. Let the
people by direct vote choose their SEN
ators. That is the speedy and truly
de- locratic ~,"thod. 1t may ~perchance
as the years roll by and experience be-
comes a farther teacher, that the legis-