Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-07
LET THE PEOPLE SAY.
MOVEMENT FOR SELECTION OF
SENATORS ny POPULAR VOTE.
MEETING TO BE- HELD HERE.
A Conference of All Interested Call
cd for Wednesday May 1Oth-Popu-
Issued by influential Democrats.
Republished by Request)

Is so wide spread and 20 imperative that
the issue thereby raised cannot longer
be wisely or safely avoided by the Demo-
Gratis OF Virginia. The sentiment in favor
Of the election OF senator's by direct vote
of the people is not OF recent origin; but
its growth in the present decade is un-
equalled in our entire history. That 1t has
been quickened immensely by t(e shock
ing disclosures of the legislative scandals
which have disgraced many Of the States
OF the Union is painfully apparent, and
their effect upon the public conscience
cannot have escaped the most Indifferent
observer Of passing events. Indeed the
! situation has become well-nigh intolerable
in many of the States. The people OF
Virginia cannot remain insensible to con-
ditions so fraught with peril to our in
stitutions.
REPRESENTS SPECIAL INTERESTS.
Too often senators Of the United States
do not represent the body of the people
Of tie several States. but very frequently
represent special corporate interests or
special classes. ,Mortifying as this fact
must be to every lover of our government
it is no recent discovery, although the
| evil consequences and bitter DECORATIONS
involved in it have of late been presented
with frequent and impressive emphasis.
The vice i'm the existing method of cleo
ing senators was detected by many of the
wisest of the founders of the republic
at the very beginning of their great task
| among them the Virginia patriots. whose
opinions at this date are accepted as the
most valuable political legacies that have
| 10 lie al 10 M Those
men had an inherited and instructive
love of liberty and adherence Of tyranny
in any FORM which armed them with
the power of genius 10 carry out their
high resolve 10 have for themselves and
| to bequeath TO their descendants an en-
during free government, resting upon the
free will of a free people. The argument
for the present system was made in that
day frankly and with out disguise. one
Of the most prominent advocates Of the
! legislative method of electing senator's.
Mr.. Gerry. of Massachusetts. insisted
that the commercial and mOneyed inte-
rests would be more secure in the hands
of the State legislatures than OF the
people at large"
| MADISON AND JEFFERSON.
James Madison. on the other hand. de-
clared that the great fabric TO be raised
would be more stable and enduring If il
should rest upon the solid foundation Of
the people themselves than if it should
stand merely upon the pillars of the Le-
gislatures themselves"
The declaration of Thomas Jefferson,
II am not among those who fear the
people," need not have been preserved to
assure us where the judgement and SYM
pathies Of the founder Of Democracy
were placed on this question; nor can it
be doubted that Patrick Henry, the
matchless defender Of popular rights. APP
proved the judgment of Washington,
Madison, Randolph, Mason, and Blair,
who cast the influence and vote OF Vir-
! ginia against the election of senators by
| the Legislatures, and over whose better
judgment that provision was incorporated
in the Fedral Constitution. The senti-
ment Of the great Vrgnians of that day
without regard 20 party, approved the
election of senators by the people, and it
may be affirmed without hesitation that
confidence in and reliance upon the peo-
pie 10 govern themselves is inherent in
the plan upon which God built Virginia
manhood.
1t is not TO be denied that the Senate
of the United States contains statesmen
of high ability and character. but it must
be conceded that the average intellectual
| and mortal stature of its members is
growing less and less, whilst the intellec-
tual cultivation of the masses of the peo-
pie attains daily higher and higher stages
| Who does not know that In many Of the
States the influence of great corporation
| is more potent in the election of senators
| than the sentiment of the mass of voters;
and how often have the legislatures
! chosen, those who were scarcely known
to the people and defeated those whose
election the people had decreed? The
| senatorial elections and contests of the
past and passing year in Ohio, New
| York. Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Vir-
ginia, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Utah. Ne
vada, California. Maryland. and Mon
tana, present a close series of hideOus
scandals, such as shock the moral sense
of the country. whilst at the same time
furnishing new and indisputable test-
mony against the wisdom Of plan capa-
BILE Of such desecration and abuse.
THE SENATE'S DEFIANT SILENCE.
But this question has now passed be-
\ yond the argumentative stage. Upon II
the minds of the people are firmly made
up. The House of Representatives Of the
United States has repeatedly. and by an
almost unanimous vote, passed resolu-
ton TO amend the Constitution so as 10
give the people the right TO choose their
senator's but the Senate has as often
stined these resolutions in committee.
sion, well knowing that &c do so would be
to sign the death warrant Of many OF its
members aspiring TO reelection. This
sullen and defian. silence on the part Of
! the beneficiaries of the vicious system is
in itself a convicting argument that the
remedy has been too long delayed. Many
Of the States of the Union have, through
their legislatures, called upon Congress
to submit TO the people Of the states an
amendment to the Constitution giving 10
them the right 10 elect their senator's by
direct vote. In California, more than
nine tenths OF the voters Of the State,
at a recent popular election, voted In
favor OF change. and within the past
few weeks the Legislatures of North
Carolina and Missouri unanimously
passed resolutions instructing their sena-
tors TO support a resolution TO so amend
the Constitution. In the fifty-third Con-
gress, the Hon. William j. Bryan. then
a representative from the State of Neb-
raska. introduced and earnestly support
ed resolution to accomplish this great
reform: and within the past few weeks
the national chairman of the Democratic
party, himself a United States Senator.
has said: Il am in favor OF the election
OF senator's by the direct vote of the peo-
pie. / have changed my views upon this
subject within the last year or two The
whole people cannot be debauched by
money or otherwise; it is safest to put
all the power we can in their hands"
POSITION OF VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS
The doom of this relic OF a dark past
of the age when The people were not
W'YN|1 I I J''qgs'2 ! a;