Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-02-18
THE PEOPLE rs. THE SENATE.

oh~ VA eA~ AAS@ As~A~AAS s
things in our political evolution
is the change wrought in public
sentiment regarding the United
States senate. Many thoughtful
men regard the dual character Of
our national legislative body as
quite cumbersome and unneces-
sary, and would readily consent
to the elimination of the senate.
It is not probable that any con-
siderable number of the Ameri-
can people would favor such a
change, yet there is no doubt
that there is a widely diffused
feeling among the people that the
senate should receive some sort of
reconstruction that would render
it a more efficient legislative
body. Many characteristics be-
lieved at first to be necessary are
now held not only to be of no
utility, but to he otherwise most
undesirable.
1t was quite natural that when
our forefathers took up the work
of forming constitutional govern
ments for themselves they should
frame their organic measures 50
as to embody those features of
England's government which
were most desirable. They were
Englishmen, determined to per-
petuate the rights and Liberties of
Englishmen under written con-
stitutions. Early in 1916 they
began to form such governments
and presently eleven of the thir-
teen colonies had instituted con-
stitutional government. In eight
of these the legislative depart
rnent, following the model of the
English parliament, consisted Of
two branches. 1t was held that
this division would guard against
crude and hasty legislation, cor
ruption and bribery; that the
members of one branch or house
being drawn from a different
class of citizens and bearing diff
ferent responsibilities would ren-
der it a greater check upon the
other.
AS a matter of fact it was in
tended that while the lower
house should represent the mass
OF the people the upper house or
senate should represent the veal
thy, the cultured, the influential.
That this was the main pur-
pose in dividing the legislature
into two branches is evident when
we recall the arguments set forth
by those who, later, opposed the
extention of the election fran
chise. In 1921 New York am
mended her constitution which
had been adopted in 1777. 1t
was proposed to abolish the prop
erty qualification of the electors.
Chancellor Kent, the most able
jurist New York ever produced,
earnestly advocated that property
qualification for electors of the
senate should be retained. He
said the senate should be 'the
representative of the landed in
terest securing it against the ca.
price of the motely assemblage of
paupers, emigrants, journeymen,
manufacturers, etc."
In 1890 Massachusetts amend
ed her constitution, when Daniel
Webster actively and vehement
ly opposed removing the proper
ty qualification required for elect
ors of senators, using arguments
similar to those of Judge Kent.
The arguments that the senate is
necessary to safeguard the rights
Of property had been set out in
the debate of the convention that
framed the federal constitu-
ton int 1857, and the qualifca-
lions of senators and their duties
had been determined with view
that sena tors would be selected
from a different, a more able and
influential class of men than the
representatives.
Thus from the beginning we
zee the senate has been the aris-
.ocrat of Our national legislature.
An effort was made to cheat the
people into regarding the U. S.
Senator as being nodded from al
finer clay than is neces-
AIRY for congressman. 1t is a
iction which finds no place of
est outside the personal vanity
# senators.
Wealth of itself is Untitled to-
10 special privileges. Intelli-
,ence is too widely diffused to be
represented exclusively by ninety
J. S. senators. The American
,eople have learned to do things.
Hhis is their great mission.
They aim to do things prompt
y, expeditiously, efficiently.