Mexico Missouri message., 1901-08-22
CHOOSING OF r.
" u. S. SENATOR'S.
BY CLAUDE MORRIS.

political strife III THESE
bodies when the people can settle
this matter more satisfactorily!
The Constitution says, the people
ordained and established the ma
tional government. Why, then,
should the State legislatures choose
senators for them? Where is the
man who will tell the people that
they are not capable of voting Ju-
dciously for senators! Yet to in
sist that the legislatures can more
properly attend to this matter IL
mounts to such IA declaration.
Senator Sumner said that he re-
gardcd the votes of the legislatures
in this matter as belonging to the
people. Mr.. Webster said i'll his
famous constitutional speech III
the Senate: 1--WE are here to adj
minister constitution cmanatlng
Immediately from the people. 1t
is not the creature of the State
government. IT is of no moment
to the argument that certain acts
of the State legislatures are neces-
sary to fill our seats in this body.
That is Il duty which the people
imposed on the State legislatures
by the Constitution and which
they might have left to be per
formed elsewhere if they had seen
fit" These two expressions from
such eminent authority fairly rep
resent the IDEAS of public men
generally. This is a duty the peo-
pie require the State legislatures
to perform for them, and as it is
so imperfectly performed in so
many instances we say the people
should reclaim it.
Again, the State legislatures are
generally composed of aspiring
ambitious, young politicians. The
candidate for senator is II man of
State political reputation. The
superior dominates the inferior.
The candidate who asks the favor
of the State legislator is in Il posi-
ton to show the legislator sub
stantial favors in return and this
induces him to vote for personal
advantage rather than to reflect
the Judgment of his constituency
whose delegated power he is eXer-
cising. Such inducements could
not be brought to bear in an elec-
ton before the people.
Why allow men to drug THEN
moral ideas into state of Insen-
sibility with political excitement
when the election may be perform
ed and more properly performed in
a day No man is absolutely i'm
pervious to temptation in all the
forms it may be presented in a
drawn out political contest. He
may enter with clean hands and a
determination to emerge from it III
the same condition, but six weeks
of deadlock, during which the
nerves are kept i'll constant ten
sion with political excitement,
shake all his preconcelved opln-
ions and he is in the race to win.
Day after day one thing and an
other has arisen showing the dan
gerous character of the opposition
and one conceives that to defeat
such Il man as his opponent he do
eth Gods service. What would
be criminal under ordinary coudi-
tons now becomes Il duty to man
kind and to his State. Question
able means are employed, which
subject the candidate, the lcgislat.
IRE and his State to the Just re-
proaches of the public generally
Charges of corruption are made,
scandals arise, investigating com
mittceS are appointed, the public
money is expended, and so the
candidate, if successful, enters the
highest body of the National leg
islature with his reputation for III
tegrity besmirchcd and his powers
for good affected 10y the necessary
suspicion that he is wanting IN
that Essential public virtue" He
will not strengthen the body tC
which he comes by inspiring il
the public greater confidence fol
their lawmakers, and if guilty OF
those things whereof he is accused
is himself a CHIEF of anarchy, fol
while sitting as Il maker of law h,
did himself violate the law to Sc
cure that seat. How often do W,