The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-01
OTHER SPEAKERS ARGUE.
Principles Laid Down by First Speak
ers Elaborated.

The second speaker on the affirmative
was Mr.. S. S. Dent, of Trinity.
Collaborating the principles laid down
by Mr.. Stewart, the first speaker ON
this side of the question, Mr.. Dent con-
tended that the election of Senators
should be by popular vote for the fol-
lowing reasons:
L. 1t should eliminate the present evil
of buying seats in the Senate.
,. 1t would meet demand caused
by the changed conditions of the coun-
try, and by AN intelligent public opin-
ion.
3. The tendency has been to place
all elections in the hands of the peo-
ole.
Mr. Dent acknowledged that at the
time the Constitution was adopted the
present form of electing Senators was
probably best, but now he said condi-
tions have changed. The Senafe u filed
with corporate influences and the Sena'
tors combat any legislation unfriendly
to the influences that elect them. In this
connection he related numerous instances
OF bribery and corruption in the cleo
ton of United States Senators.
money rules and corruption still
lives. This use of money in our State
legislatures when a United States Sena-
ter is to be elected has grown so conn
mon that the people have come to look
about them and are now demanding that
the election Of Senators be Put in their
hands"
Also dead-locks were discussed ut
length This year. he said, there were
deadlocks i'm nine States that had Sena-
tors to elect; six of them continued over
four weeks. I'm THE other three there
was no election. He pointed out that
there is no such failure to elect in our
contest for governors and other Off
GERS by the people. Elect by popular
vote and the people will settle inn day
the contest that it takes your legisla-
ture weeks and months to decide.
Political power and political respon-
sibiEty should go hand in hand. The
Senator represents the people. he should
be elected by the people, and for these
reasons:
/. The commercial and money classes
do not need this power to protect them
from the people while the people do
need it to protect them from the money
power.
2. You remove from the legislatures
opportunity for bribery and corruption
and restore the confidence of people in
their government.
g. You remove from the Senate men
whose only claim to a seat is that they
have money to buy 1T.
4. You give each State equal represen-
tation and make deadlocks impossible.
<. You make Senators responsible di-
rectly to the people and the people
you make better citizens.
SPEECH OF MR.. POWERS.
The next speaker was Mr.. o. l..
Powers, of Wake Forest. He began
NV saving that our Constitution had stood
the trial of four great wars and the
fest of hundred years. A few minor
amendments had been adopted, but no
rude hand has been laid on amy funda
mental principle. Remove from the
United States Senate the conservatism
lodged there and you destroy atsonce one
of the theories on which TINS government
was formed The House and Senate
were intended to be different and TO Sc
cure this end their methods of election
must differ. Change does mot always
mean Improvement, and in this case
change means the destruction of much |
that as good.
The speaker commended that popular
elections were more liable to be corrupt
than are elections by Representatives of |
the people
ssElectors can be bought. boards of can
vassers doctor returns and ballot boxes
are stolen
He argued that the cities and their
foreign population would control popular |