The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-19

in intoxicating the idea that politics Will
do more harm to women than they will
do good to politics. In view xof the In
difference to woman suffrage that now
prevails. there does not seem tofbe much
for the association to do
Government by the Senate.
Is this country to be governed here
after by the senate?
Is it the desire OF the people OF this
country that the executive as we'll as
the legislative authority shall be vested
in the hands Of an oligarchy?
When our government was organ
lied the founders endeavored to make
each department independent of the
other in the exercise of Tits authority
and the discharge of It's responsible
ties. There are points Of contact, OF
course, and necessarily, but in the
main the distinctions were clearly de-
fined between the executive, the legis-
lative and the Judiciary.
Just now we are forced to ,contem-
plate threatened usurpation OF all
the power of the executive and legis-
lative departments by the senate. That
this usurpation has not proceeded fur
presiding over the house Of @represen-
tatives a man, who is jealous Of the
rights and powers of that division of
the legislative department which is
most representative Of and most close
1y related to the people, and who is
resolved that its powers and inde-
pendence shall not be destroyed; and
to the further fact that there presides
in the White House man Of sufficient
courage and self-assertiveness to
compel recognition of the indepen-
dence Of the executive by the legisla-
tive department..
Nevertheless the growing power OF
the senate has assumed proportions
which may well give the republic con-
Germ. TIL J ourna IS. Washing
ton correspondence to-day contains
one of the most interesting and impor-
tant chapters in the political history
of the times. It relates to the growing
conventions by the senate. The facts
therein set forth suggest very forcibly
| the method by which the senate as
pires to control both the executive
and legislative branches of the govern
ment, and the complete subservienc!
of the executive as natural resul
| of further pursuit of this policy. Th'
domination Of the national nominating
conventions by the senate, as existed
in the case of the Philadelphia con
vention, where twenty-five member
of the upper house held every impor
tant position and controlled the entir'
deliberation and action Of that body
| shows how completely the executive
may be made subservient to the legis
lative.
when the legislative makes the ex
ecutive what other result could b.
expected?
We do not think that we over-estl
mate the gravity Of the situation whe1
we call attention to the del1berat
purpose Of the members Of the senat
to control the next convention. MI
Roosevelt is Enthusiastically the choic
of the rank and file of his party. H
is Enthusiastically not the choice of tn
senate. He has not always consulted
the wishes and preferences of tina
|body. He has not allowed it to- do hi
work for him. And for that reason
among the fifty-seven members of tn
republican side of that body, there ar
comparatively few who favor his re
nomination.
In this respect, to take account Q
no others-and, there are others-th
senate is clearly out Of sympathy an
out Of touch with the prevailing sen
timent of the republican masses. S
far is it out of harmony with republi
can sentiment on the whole that ther
is rational ground upon which to fea
hostile movement against Roosevelt
in that convention If the opportunit
for success should present itself.
: This question, Of course, touche
> our own state, as well as others, an
our own senators. It has been take
for granted that they would both b
delegates to the Chicago convention
altho, as indicated in T The jour
n a Is Washington dispatches to-da,
they are understood there not to (
| insistent upon it. The only reaso
. why they wish to be chosen is tn;
| they would not like to seem to ha,
been turned down at home, when {
t many other senators were being MOI
ored by their states with delegat
ships. There is no danger Of that.
they want to go, they no doubt ca
l and there is the important considers
ton mentioned in our Washingtc
: story to-day that If they do not g
:. the state is likely to cut much lie
: figure in the convention than if thu
, were there. That is true, because Il
! convention is pretty certain to be
: the hands Of members. Of the senat
! Furthermore. the Minnesota sen
: tors know the sentiment of the Peep
! Of their state toward the presider
. and would not dare to disregard it
= they were SO disposed, of which '
q have no evidence.
\ While Minnesota cannot reform tt
evil of senatorial domination Of tt
r national nominating convention