The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-06
Direct Election of Senators.


locks in four states. there
has arisen lately a new demand for the
election of United. State senators by a
direct vote of the people. Those who
praise this idea in the most
extravagant terms are in some in
quick to condemn the popular vote
system if 1t did not bring about the
results OF their choice.
To any one who possesses a working
acquaintance with politics and a phil
Osophic knowledge of political history
it is unnecessary to say that the pro-
posed constitutional amendment chang
ing the method of electng senators
offers little hope of betterment. Our
own opinion is that it offers no hope;
that the result of such a change upon
the character of the senate would,
| after a period of years. be more likely
to be harmful than beneficial.
The popular election Of senators
would, under the party plan of govern
ment, necessitate the popular nomina-
tion at state conventions Of candidates
for the office of senator. In states
where the pulse of public interest in
primary elections is sluggish this
would mean that the so-called ma
chimes would control as at present; in
other states, no advantage would ac-
crue because where public senti-
mert is right the senators as rule are
right, under the existing system. The de-
mand for the popular election Of sena-
tors comes, in Pennsylvania. for ex-
! ample. mainly from opponents Of
Quayism. Suppose the change were
| made. Would it necessarily take out
| of the hands of the Quay element the
ability to control the nominating con-
vention? Or if, in course of time the
Quay element should be dethroned and
the Dave Martin-William Finn ele-
ment enthroned. would that machine"
| differ in method or principle from the
much abused Quay machine?
! To this the reply is made that If any
thimble-rigging should prevail at n
/ state convention in the nomination Of
a distasteful candidate for senator the
4
course to stump nomination and
| thus defeat the machine nominee
| and force the election of Democratic
! senator. This argument suits those
| who are suited with Democratic sena-
! tors. but it is not calculated to create
! enthusiasm among those who believe
! that a great Republican state like
/ IL,
| fully represented in the senate of the
| United States by Republican senators.
We saiu a moment ago that we
! thought the direct election of senators
/ would result eventually in a deteriora-
! tion of the senate. We will now eX-
! plain how. Those who have gone care
fully over the political history of the
country from its early days must have
been impressed by the fact that a
greater number o. dema gogues have
| secured office through direct election
than by Intermediate means. AS care
| less Immigration laws have added new
dangers to universal suffrage and
populated our cities with discontented
clements whose discomfort is not di-
| rectly fault Of the country itself but
Of their own ignorance, laziness or in
ability to adapt themselves to Ameri-
can conditions. the incentive to dema :
| gogism has increased among aspirants
for elective positions until, in 1896, we
had the rare spectacle of the presi-
dency itself almost captured by a
young man practically without public
experience and gifted only in the
knack OF giving ingenious expression
TO the restlessness and silly preiu-
dices Of the hour At the risk of say
ing what may not be popular, We wish
to record our belief that the welfare
Of American institutions is infinitely
safer in the custody of the kind of men
able to manipulate state legislatures
or manage political "machnes;" in
other words. men like T. c. Platt. Marx
Hanna and M. {. Quay. than 1t would
be in Tho hands ~ men Of the shifty
loquacious ana irresponsible kind typi.
fed by Colonel Bryan. 1t takes q
superior quality of diplomacy, execu'
tive ability and generalship to run 6
! successful political machine; but al