Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-02-08
CHAMP CLARK LETTER
Why Popular Vote Should
Elect Senators.
PRESENT CASE IN POINT.
The Rascally Act of Taylor In
Kentucky.
GAGE GLoRIBs IN HIS SHAME.

Sure That the Republican Congress
VIII Not Convict Him. He Cares
Naught For Public Opinion - He
Should Be Impeached Kentucky
Republicans Resort TO Assassina-
tion-FederaI Judges and Trusts.
Especial Washington Letterl
Reasons multiply on every hand why
senators of the United States should be
elected by popular vote, as governors
and other officers are now elected. The
last small bore politician, accidentally
in position to unwittingly contribute
to the success of good cause by bad
action, is Governor Taylor of Ken.
lucky. La order, as he thought, to aid
himself in his fight with Goebel he, so
the papers say, proposed to refuse a
commission u Senator Elect Joe Black
burn. Honest men win have to pinch
themselves TO see if they are awake
when they read that announcement
No man in the United States ever had
a clearer title to seat in the senate
than has Mr. Blackburn. He received
a large majority of both houses of the
egislature-ldrger than nine-tenths Of
office recei, ed. There is no taint or
charge or intimation of fraud, intimi-
dation or corruption made as to Black
burns election. yet by the mere ipse
dixit of a governor whose title to his
own office has been declared Illegal.
Blackburn's commission, under the
present system, was to be held up and
he forced to go into the courts to Sc
cure his rights. and the rights of the
people of Kentucky or institute con-
test before the senate. This is done,
this outrage is committed, mark you,
for the corrupt purpose of forcing
Blackburn and Blackburn's friends to
assist Taylor to hold on TO the seat
which by this one act, if no other. he
thoroughly demonstrates his utter un-
fitness for. Surely he is beautiful. a
lovely, sample of that purity, patriot
ism and boiler than thouness which
the G. o. Z. arrogates, and falsely, to
itself!
Not the Only Rascal.
But Republican Governor Taylor is
not the only rascal who, doing evil,
has seen good come of it, and | miss
my guess if his unseemly and unpatri-
otic conduct does not help along the
election of United States senators by a
direct vote of the people. consumma-
ton devoutly to be wished. There is
something invigorating in contest be-
fore the people. 1t tends to develop
capacity and courage, but the present
system has none of that exhilarati ting
effect.
At the same time that the Republic
an governor of Kentucky is refusing
Blackburn his commission the Repub-
iican governor of California is calling
an extra session of the legislature to
elect a senator at large expense to the
people of that unfortunate state be-
cause at the regular session of the leg
islature Dan Burns and other boodlers
prevented the legislature from electing
a senator, as it was in duty bound
to do.
Perhaps that failure to elect sena-
tor by reason of the lavish use of boo
die and the subsequent calling of q
special session of the legislature may
set men to thinking of how frequently
the present system of eleeting senators
of the United States fails of its object
GIOrying In shame.
One of the New York papers remark.
ed lately that Lyman j. Gage was the
most miserable man in Washington.
don't believe word of it. He belongs
to that strange class whom ST Pau
describes as ''glorying in their shame
He well knows that a Republican
house will not impeach him and that
a Republican senate will not convicl
him. and, as to moral opinion, he cares
no more for that than a duck cares fol
water poured on its waterproof back
The only public opinion that he would
care a rap for would be such unani-
nous public opinion of hostility as to
force President Mckinley TO part com
pany with him as be was forced tc
part company with the beloved Alger
and, as he thinks he can control the in
formation which is to go to the public
he thinks he can hold public indigna-
ton down to such a degree that the
president will not feel compelled tC
bounce him in order to have any hope
Of winning the next election. So Ly-
man goes on feathering his nest and
the nest of the beloved Hepburn and
his gang. thinking, no doubt. what viii
liam a. Vanderbilt bluntly blurted
out. '"rhe people be d-dr
The most we lost in losing this house
was the opportunity to probe the scan
dalous conduct of Lyman to the bot
tom. That he ought to be impeached
is. | think. beyond all cayil: but. as il
takes a two-thirds vote TO impeaeh. il
won't be done-ean't be done-as we
were in minority of 13 before Hon. 10
seph c. Sibley went to the defense oi
Lyman. which left US in minority oi
10, as one going over counts two and
since Mr. Roberts was bounced we art
In a minority of III So Lyman will
probably swagger around and repeat
Boss Tweed's famous question. What
are you going to do about ity' Tweed
found out. TO his sorrow. and lei Us
hope that Lyman may find out to his
sorrow
Depends ON His Pull.
Lyman depends on his political pull.
Just as Tweed depended on his. 1t
will ultimately fail Lyman. just as
Tweed's failed him. 1t will avail him
little while. and predict that unless
President Mckinley throws this mod
ern Jonah overheard the Republican
ship, with the whole crew aboard, will
be engulfed So mote ii be.
Mr.. Sulzer of New York introduced
a resolution providing for special
committee TO Investigate Lynan's
transactions Sulzer's resolution was
referred to the committee on rules
which reported 1t back. striking oul
the special committee feature. refer
ring 1t to the committee on ways and
means. authorizing il to do the inyesti
eating. So Sulzer has to his credit tbs
barren victory of ordering an invests
CATION. while the Investigation Will bs
done not BY such committee as Sulzel
wanted, but By one composed largely
OF the political friends of the secretar2