Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-25


much easier than they csa popular cleo
| uOns. 1T IL sometimes aIgneA that party
| conventions would be as liable TO noml-
nate undesirable candidates for the SEN
! are az legislatures are to elect them, but
| there j. an important difference. When a
| convention nom;uates an undesirable
! man. the people sit in judgment upon the
nomination, aud the fear OF rejection at
! the polls acts as restraint upon the con-
veuti0u. when a LEGISLATURE elects an
! undesirable man for the Senate there is
no appeal from its decision. The cor
4. porations do not usually ask a legislator
to go outside OF his party to support the
! corporation candidate. but they usually
J have their favorite candidate in the domi-
nant party.
| 3. The present method OF electng sena-
| tors !uteTferes seriously with State af-
J fairs. Where the State legislatures meet
/ every two years. two legislatures out OF
| every three elect senator, and when a
| senatorial election Is pending party lines
are drawn and The candidates capacity
! for State affairs IL often overshadowod
! by the necessity Of having a party ma
! jority in the legislature. When the
! Legislature meets, the first business Is
| the organization. and the officers Of the
Legislature are usually chosen with refer
encs to the senatorial candidates whom
they are to support. rather than because
Of their fitness for the positions. II the
contest Is prolonged rs II often IL. all
| State business is arrested. while the con-
test over the senatorial seat wakes hotter
and hotter. II IS difficult TO overestimate
the injury done 20 State affairs by having
political question OF the first magnitude
forced upon the State Legislature.
4. Sometimes the Legislature ajjoutns
wit al then
only half Of its senatorial representation
for two years. While deadlocks have
sometimes terminated I'm this way hereto
fore. the present year has outstripped all
predecessors IN furnishing four instances
of this kind. In Delaware, Pennsylvania,
Utah. and California the senatorial dead
locks continued throughout the entire
session and left the States with only one
senator each
5. If there was no other reason for the
change. a sufficient reason would be found
i'm the scandals growing out OF senatorial
elections. The charge OF direct bribery'is
made with increasing frequency. and in
direct forms Of bribery are even more
common There Is no doubt that success
ful candidates are sometimes unjustly
condemned, and that legislators are often
the victims Of groundless accusation; but
purity I'm politics is so necessary and up
rightness in public officials 80 essential
that we cannot afford TO continue a sys-
TEN which offers such excellent OppOrtu-
mites for corruption and breeds such
widespread suspicion. Probably the most
common and nsidious form OF corruption
IS that employed by candidates who are
either themselves wealthy or who have
strong financial backing, and who secret
Is furnish the campaign funds for legis-
latiye candidates, and thus place them
under pecuniary obligation.
Several years ago the following story
was told of Il western legislator; lie
arose in the House one morning, address
cd the Speaker, and asked permission 10
deposit with him one thousand dollars, 10
be returned by the Speaker TO Mr.. A.,
a senatorial candidate. He explained that
when he received the money he promised
10 vote for Mr.. A, but since receiving
the money he had received fifteen hun
cred dollars from Mr. B., and added
that. being an honest man. he felt IL his
duty to return the thousand dollars 10
Mr.. A.. This passed for gdpd story.
but recent political history has shown
that Il was not as improbable as might
be supposed, for during the present year
a member Of a State legislature has stated
that he received from prospective can
dldate money to defray his campaign ex-
penses, but that having decided 20 vote
for another man. he expected TO return
what he had received.
Occasionally a State convention has
nominated a candidate for the Senate.
but this Is OF doubtful advantage where
the opposing party fails to follow the
example, because the candidate who Is
nominated runs against the field and has
to contend with the disappointment OF
rivals In his own party. as well as 10
overcome the combined local popularity |
OF the numerous Candidates I'm the oppo-
site party who may aspire 10 the Office.
In Nebraska the electors have right |
&c express their preference for United |
States senator at the general election next |
preceding the end OF a senatorial term. |
but that expression has no binding force |
upon the Legislature. An amendment 10 \
the Constitution Will enable the people to /