The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-15

Editor of The Times:
sir.-Nou wholly miss tho point OF my
objection o. the election of senators by
the people. / must try again.
10 ls certainly true. as YOU claim. that
Senators may champion State sovereignty
quite as Loyalty n elected By tho people
as when the Legislatures elect. And. we
may add. this loyalty need not be i'm
paired II they gain their office by force
OF arms or right OF birth. That is not
the point
10 Is no less true That the tendency o.,
the times is 20 emasculato the State
governments The people care less and
less what is done in their State capitals.
and are concerned more and more with
tho dOincs in Washington The time
seems coming when Stare governments
VIII rule. if az an, only iu name and IL
Is certainly true that when that time
comes-should our country ever fan upon
such On evil day-there viii be no longer
state rule. or home rule. and democratic
government, will have perisaed from tina
nation.
The present method Of e'ecting senators
6 one OF our strongest constitutional
guarantees that that time shall not come
and the attempt. however popular. fc
change this method is but another ten.
dency OF the times 20 take power from
the States. The plea that il is done I'd
give moro power TO the people. and thu
talk about trusting the people is at bot
tom but demagogery and unworthy the
usual frankness Of Tho Times
can there be a more direct impeach-
ment OF the people than TO insist that
they habitually or frequently choose
venal legislators and cannot Doe trusted
90 govern themselves in so important a
mattcr2 BY what s0ohistry is 10 claim
cd that popular government is a failure
when 10 comes 10 choosing Legislature.
Tor States. but works perfectly when
Senators are elected2
It a. demanded that the very methods
now used 90 elect State officers be used
20 elect Senators. yet the boss finds 10
quite as easy 20 carry bis man through
a convention and so az fhe polls, as 10
carry him through % Legislature. j. IS
certain that Mr. Quay ana Mr. Plat
would have ms sure % road 90 the Senate
as they now have if they had been elect
ed as their governors We're Tho people
or New York ana Pennsylvania have
never voted their dispieasure upon legis-
Ia OTIS or party FOR misrepresenting them
in cicctlng those gentlemen They never
WIFI so vote. There IS no evidence that
they were misrepresenfcd. For while
strange men have gone 20 the Senate as
reprcsentin- Legislatures. stranger yet
h9vo gone 10 Governor chairs as rep
resent.Hg the people.
Senators as now elected may or may
NOT represent the opinions Of the people
Whether they do coz not IS beside the
question. The government at Washing
TON is not. from tho democratic stand
point for the people. of the people, By
the people and never was intended 20
Doe. Tie was Republican OF Republi-
cans - patcrnaiist. centraiist. possibly
imUeralist-WhO so caliel it II is a
government OF States. for states, by
STATES There was no need for our
fathers 20 make another government for
tne people That they already had TO
perfection Ono their states. and these
fathers decreed through Tie Constitution
they always should have DO. Not AZ
Washington but in tine capitals of the
States. is tho true seat of the people
government There will come if 80 comes
az an. the breaking down OF the expert
mont of popular government And he
who would. in any degree or particular.
weaken tho virility and importance Of
the Legislatures and governments boz
those capitols but hastens the day Of
that breakdown.
IL is sad 20 have The Times speak OF
Senators as officers of the people Sad
because &c indicates how far we have
drfted from the spirit Of the Constitu-
lion when So strong a defender can even
momeutarilv lapse INFO such looseness OF
thoueht-for surely 81 was nothing more
Time was that Senators were servants
or messengers OF The States. May they
long continue 20 have that honori Ana
may our devoted country see before II Is
too late tho tide OF peril TO democratic
governments now setting IN so strongly
from every quarter.
THOMAS c. DIGGS.
Richmond Va. January 10. 1899.