Smyrna times., 1903-04-01
QUESTION OF CHOOSING
SENATOR'S POPULAR VOTE
WEALTH SHOULD NOT BE A OUALIFICA-
TlON FOR THE IMPORTANT OFFICE.
The "EternaI Fitness of Things" Should be
the Qualification for Men to Represent
their States in the Upper House

The "Eternal Fitness of Things" Should be
the Qualification for Men to Represent
their States in the Upper House.
The question whether Senators
should be chosen by popular vote,
rather than by the Legislatures of the
States, may be profitably discussed,
even if no change is made by Con-
stitutiOnal amendment. What we
mean is, that any serious political ques-
ton that diverts the attention of men
from personal aud private affairs, and
concentrates it for time upon a sub
ject of real public interest-like this
one-is beneficial. The millions of
voters IN this country-there were
about 1000, 900 in 190O-do not con-
cern themselves generally with ques-
tions relating to Governmental pro-
cedure.
The Senate is such a very import
ant body in our system, and its import
ance IN recent years has been so largely
augmented, as to make it inevitable
that the interest of observers and
students in its members and the meth
od by which they are elected, should
be greatly increased
The trainers of the Constitution. in
1871, as is well known, by entrustlng
to the State Legislatures the election
OF Senators, designed to provide an Up
per House which should be composed
OF prudent and experienced men, who,
by their superior wisdom aud dispas-
slonate deliberation upon proposed
measures, should supply what was es.
peciallY needed in new Republic II
probably did not occur to the Con-
stltutlon- makers that the Senate would
ever contain men of quite different
sort; that, instead of accomplished cit
lzens, notable for their previous pub
lie services aud distinguished for their
character and statesmanlike attain
ment, certain States would be repre-.
sented by Senators conspicuous only
as machine politicians and corporation
attorneys; that successful speculator
and declamatOry demagogues would
be elected to the Upper House of Cou-
gress; that certain Senators should re-
gard it as their principal business to
see to 1t that there henchman and fav-
Orltes were appointed to lucrative Of
fees under the Government; that
others should take advantage of "the
courtesy of the Senate" to obstruct
legislation by long and wearisome and
irrelevant harangues.
The dignity and power of the Senate
as legislative body are so great. the
position of a Senator is so important
that men of large wealth have soupbt
elections to the Upper House. and have |
more than once succeeded. Wealth. |
alone should be no qualification what !
ever for the Senate. Senators should |
be men distinguished for the posses.
sion OF quite other things than stocks
and bonds. 1t is not likely to be ad-
Vantageous to the Republic to have
powerful corporations represented in
the Senate. Zeal in behalf of corpor-
ate interests is likely to be opposed to
the public interest
Senators should be qualified to take
large, serious, impartial and dispas.
sionate views of public questions. and
to do this they should not be closely
associated or connected with great
corporations or combinations of capi.
tal. There is no reason why thew
should vlrulently antagonize CORPORA
tlons engaged in legitimate business.
but they should be superior to corpor-
ate influences.
There Is such thing as the public
welfare, as distinguished from private
profit, and it is that public or general
welfare which should mainly engage
the attention of Senators. ''The most
august Legislative body in the world"
needs an infusion of new and better
material. The tainted political bosses
and corporation attorneys. the pluto.
Gratis and plant tools should be replac-
ed by genuine statesmen, and the SEN
ate again became-what it was intend
ed to bean august body in very
Iced.
Rev. John Reid, Jr,, of Great Falls
Mont, recommended Ely's Cream, ear,
Balm