Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-08-21
Friday. August ri. 1908.
THE ELECTION OF [. S. SENATOR'S.
The Newport News Times Herald
says of the popular choice of United
States Senators:

States Senator'S:
''As for the election by party primary
of senator in the congress of the United
States we have never thought the plan a
good one, in that il practically DESTROYS
the chance small county or city has 20
be heard in the matter. For instance the
city OF Richmond or large counties like
Pittsylvania, Albemarle Loudoun, Eau
quier, Amherst and Accomac in a primary
would do more TO name the senator than
30 other counties that could be named.
We believe that each city, county or leg
islatiye district can instruct it's represen-
tative as to how he shall vote, and let
the legislature elect with every part oi
the state having an equal voice in the SC
lection OF the man. We regard the e,ec-
ton OF United States senatorsby the peo-
pie as a dangerous departure from a sys-
tenn that was conceived I'm wisdom and
that has been approved by the test of a
century
The question was thoroughly discuss
ed when the present system of govern
ment was inaugurated, and the expert
ence OF the years has not TO our minds
evidenced that the best idea did not pre-
vail. The legislatures in some states
have elected some undesirable men, but
the people have also elected some very
sorry governors and state officials, and
there is no certainty that they would
not elect SON, just as Indifferent sena-
tors"
With this the Norfolk County
Democrat takes issue, as note the fol-
lowing quotation:
us 1t fact that the election of United
states Senators by the legislatures of the
several states has been approved by the
test oil century, Can il be said with
due regard to the facts that the Senate
oil the United States, as at present consti-
tuted, really stands periodically for the
interests OF the American people or is
primarily responsive to the wishes and
demands OF the people2 We regard IL ms
extremely doubtful that either OF these
Questions can be safely answered in the
afhrmative. IL is, of course, true that the
people sometimes select -.retty sorry
sticksfor Governors or something of that
sort But that does not by any means
constitute an argument for the present
method of choosing Senator's. 1t is not
wholly question of the men chosen nv
winch the system must be judged. The
method OF operation must also be con-
sidered.
Now what are the facts as to the one
ration oil the present system. No man
can, as a rule, be chosen to the limited
states Senate unless he il amenable TO
the influence OF certain powerful interests
and Is known TO be SO. He must no n
man with a collar on. The collar NAV
not choke and it may not be conspicuous.
but 1t is there just the same.
1t seems TO us that a system that
works this way il not an unqualified
success"
We give space to the foregoing be.
cause just now the primary seems to
be paramount issue with press
and politicians. We do not take is-
sue with either of our contemporaries
who. by the way, seem to be quite
WIDE apart on most political ques-
tlons-bnt We desire to add a few
words In passing. Whether we an
prove OF 1t or not the primary sys-
tenn Is with us, and as good Demo
Gratis we believe in hewing to the party
line. From recent events it seems
pretty we'll certain that there is 90
ing 70 be compiled some very inter-
esting records of the ants and the
primary advocates. The inconsistency
OF many will be later showed up.
But that was not exactly our line of
thought when reading the foregoing
On the whole, We doubt very much
II records of the lower branch of
Congress 10 the past forty years will
compare at ali favorably when lined
up with that of the Senate. Ger.
tainly the South in several times of
peril has the u. S. Senate alone to
thank for STAYING OF malicious yisi-
tations. 1t has not been so many
years gone by that all over this land
we were blessing our socailed "House
Of Lords" for shielding as from that
awful ''force bill" A shadow of
reconstruction days hung over US at
the time, and who can tell what would
have been the consequences could
the House of Representatives have
had its way. Nor can we forget W hen
Mosby in Virginia and Hampton in
South Carolina appealed in vain to
Congress to rid our lands of black
hordes, and white no, des with, still
blacker hearts. The President and
the SENSE were the Mly relief, al
though it came tardy. OF course,
the Senate has sins piled up against
it, but, taken all in all. she has a far
cleaner and more humane record
than the lower House.
Whether these things are because
OF the manner of their choosing il ia
not our purpose to say, but the Dem
ocrat seems to have forgotten these
things, as it has also forgotten that
Tillman and John w. Daniel and,
likely, others were not sent to or