Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-03-30

49, - - W q Say z 11lAcbdAEs I1lHlOT1
proves that two legislative branches are
better than one. Strange as it NAV
seem, a legislature composed of only
one house is liable to be stampeded OF
carried away by passion. prejudice oi
excitement to such an extent as to pas:
bills dangerous-or at least injurious,
to the country. Having two house:
gives more time for reflection, invessi.
cation and cooling off. The two branches
ought to be retained, but the mode Of
electing senators should be so changed
that, in the first place, an election ii
certain. and, secondly. that such cleo
tion shall be had without taint Of cor
ruption or fraud Not that ali senators
bold their seata hy purchase A large
majority do not. For instance, General
Francis Marion Coekrell has been elect
ed for five full terms and Hon. George
Graham Vest for four. and nobody
not even their most virulent enemy
would dare assert that either ever
spent cent corruptly to reach the
senate or to stay there. The integrity
OF these two eminent men, no less thar
their capacity, is the pride of all Mis-
sourians.
Missouri does not stand alone in this
regard. There are others. I believe that
there is no cloud on the titles of large
majority of the senators. | am glad
that this is true, but of late so many
scandals touching the election Of sena,
tors have occurred that the impression
is sinking deep into the public mind
that far too many of them hold thei,
seats by right of purchase. Since the
odoriferous Pomeroy incident, in Kan
sas, over quarter Of a century ago,
the Addicks performance in Delaware
takes the cake. Addieks hasn't been
able to get into the senate yet, but
twice be has prevented the election OF
any senator. Nobody ever pretended
that he had any claim except his mos
ey. He is known generally, not by his
Christian name, but as s'Gas Addicks,
because he made his money in stgas'
and spends it lavishly in trying to buy
his way into the senate if Qne-halt
that distinguished Delaware Republic
ans say about him is true. he ought tc
be in the penitentiary. Yet by liberal
use of money be has been able twice to
prevent the election of senator, be
cause the Addicks contingent in the
legislature would not vote for anybody
else
YpseFupaIous pse of Money.
Il the Washington Post is to be be-
lieyed, Addicks talks about having d
right to seat in the senate because he
has bought it, az though 1t were a
hArsa. farm or gas plant. Here is a
rich and racy editorial from The Post
There are worse things for state and the
country than vacant seat in the United
States senate, and among the worat Of all the
worst things would be an Addioks This opin-
ion is not based on any or all Of the allegations
made by the enemies of John Edward Addicks,
but rests with firm solidity on the words and
acts Of the man himself. It is doubtful it, out
side Of the faction Of Delaware Republicans
whom he controls, thars eGuld be found an
honest man anywhere in the United States
who, having watched the public career Of this
man for the past four or five years, would not
regard his election 10 the senate as a distinct
disgrace to Delaware. an insult to the senate
and misfortune to the republic. Therefore
the Adjournment of he Delaware ggsg sAsature,
leaving the seat vacated by ESeprge Gray I'M
filed, will relieva the people from distress
ing apnrehansion.
This Is the second time that Addicks has
prevented a senatorial election in that nttle
commonwealth since he put up the 1nSl1sey for
his party to carry the election four years ago
last fall and boldly asserted that. having paid
for a seat IN the senate ha intended to get it.
He did not get it, but left it to be filled BY a
Democrat two years Inter. This year he has
been more arrogant, if possible, than he was
in 1894, adopting rule or ruin policy and
harping on his right-as il he had paid for q
horse and was being cheated cut Of a delivery
pf his purchase
As an indication Of the Views of respectable
Republicans on this second failure of the ad-
yenturer, we cite the Philadelphia Press, which
says that probably in two years more the leg,
islature will be again Democratic and viii
elect Democrat to the senate, but better SO
than that the Republicans should be responsi.
BILE foE the election of Addicks. who reAreaents
nothing but money and the unscrupalous use
of it and whose election would bring reproaeh
and discredit to the party and to the state
responsible for imposing such man on the
United States senate, !"
Doodle Senatorial Candidates.
In Utah there were such charges and
countercharges of corruption that a
committee of investigation was appoints
ed, which discovered nothing,
In California the all has been full Of
scandal, the public press full Of all sorts
Of accusations, and many regulations
have been ruined forever. An inyesti-
eating committee was appointed, which
unexpectedly found such facts as COM
PEELED the speaker TO resign in disgrace
and badly smirched several Others. Out
there the only question appeared to be
the price of votes. Each Doodle eandi-
date had a coterie of followers owned
and controlled by right Of purchase and
would permit them to vote for no one
else, so a deadlock ensued, and failure
ia elect was the result,
As the governor cannot appoint in
such cases Delaware, Utah and Cali
fornia will for the ensuing two years
have only one senator each instead of
two, as the constitution provides and
as the exigencies of the public service
demand. In Delaware and California
this failure to elect was clearly the re-
splt Of the corrupt use of money,
If Pennsylvania should fail to elect.
il will be the first time in our history
that four states have been represented
for two years at one time by only one
senator each. Three states Washing,
ton, Montana and Wyoming failed to
elect in 1893. The truth is that this
habit of failing to elect senators, the
fashion of unbreakable dea1locks. is on
the increase. Most unfortunately so.
regret to say that Missouri set the bad
example in 1855 on account of the bit
ter feud between the Bentonites and
-Bentonitess hut there was no cor
rupti0n about that historic quarrel. It
was a marvellous manifestation of the
ferocity of the human passions. but ii
was bad example nevertheless that
Missouri set for her sister states, and
they are following it with too much
frequency.
But Missouri could not have set the
evil example, and the other states could
not have followed it, if senators had
been elected by direct vote of the peo-
pie, because in that case deadlock is a
thing impossible.
Most Legislators Heaest.
Now. be it distinctly understood that
I am not charging that all state legisla
tors, or majority of them or any large
percentage Of them, are corrupt, for |
do not heliava 1t / tlnnhf If q ma islrifY