The age-herald., 1899-08-04

like to sacrifice their political welfare for a war in which they feel but haif-hearted interest in at best. It is openly said at the department that if General Otis is replaced and new policy inaugurated that it will be Lawton's advice which will be taken, and that upwards of a hundred thousand men will be sent to the Philippines in order that the war may be brought to a speedy close, and thus the republican party be saved in 1900. Politics and not patriotism will shape the Philippine policy from now on. If not, then Senator Burrows utter ances may be taken as the first step in the revolt against Mckinley.
 Senator Stewards proposition to elect senators in a joint session of the legislature by plurality of votes after a week of try ing to elect by a majority meets with much favor among congressman at large. It is probable solution of a difficult problem. Senator Stewart says that he has letters from a number of senators endorsing the plan, and thinks it may be passed by the next congress, when it will be submitted to the different states. Senator Hoar is also an advocate of this proposition of electing senator's thinking it far superior to the other plan of electing by the people.
 Senator Stewart. in speaking of this pro- posed change to me yesterday, said that if it were possible to elect senators by a di- rect vote of the people he would be in favor of that method, "But such thing is m- possible. Instead of electing by the people it would simply resolve itself into election by conventions. We have just seen what can happen at a convention. The people of Kentucky are saying that the will of the people has been overridden and the con- vention bulldozed into choosing man for governor who entered the assembly with small minority. I know nothing about the merits of the case, my only interest in it is that it forms an example of what could be done through dictatorial methods.
 "Every man who has been in public life at all knows that it Is much easier to manipulate a convention than it is to handle a legislature There is no such thing as having an election of senators by the people long as the system Of party and party organizations are in vogue in this country. In order to get harmony the republicans will meet in convention and nominate, and so will the democrats or any other party which may be in existence.
 
 the week or the fortnight, and can be bought up or bossed into submission much easier than can legislature, nearly every member of which represents something or who is inspired by some laudable ambition to continue in public favor."
 By electing by a plurality after a weeks voting the power of electing senators is still left in the hands of the states direct, while the popular will controls and the public interests are served as well as those of the states. At the next congress there will be four vacancies caused by the fail ures of legislatures to elect-Pennsylvania Utah, California and Delaware. Senator Stewart will cite these cases and all others where states have been denied ''equal suf- frage in the senate, which Is prohibited by the constitution, save where they are deprived of such suffrage by their own con- sent. In none of these cases can the states be said to have consented to such de- priyation.