The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-25
AN UNrrNABLE POSITION.

AN ONTENAnbH EOSEIAONs
 The Nebraska state Journal thinks the Senate of the United States is at least indirectly responsible for the discreditabfe members of that august body. It says:
 The senate may disclaim responsibi- lity for the fact that Kansas. oregon, or fny hes sod wSose lie or private acts bring the senate in- to shame. but the senate cannot ais. claim responsibility for the fact that unable to designate their senators and hold them politically responsible for their states for their acts The sen the the sem senators aSe who g get t tSemseivss into trouble and the senate into disgrace: not excepting the Depws, Platts. and Penroses in addition to the Burtons' Mitchells and Dietrichs. sit in the sem ate by grace of special interests which have learned to manipulate state legis- latures. The senate cannot help know
 ing that eGnsiderable IrSp5SrtsSSn ought to know that the man who ac- cepts public offce as the special rep resentative of an interest Is certain to look out for his own interests with rather excessive zeal, with oc- casional exposures such as those that have befallen our present sizeable iist OI 0lSCTeulteu StHdtOTS.
 All that The Journal. says may be true as to the methods by which Legis- latures are led to elect such men as it refers to. but is it sure that the evil would be abated by giving the people power to elect their Senators by direct vote? It is the people who elect men1- bers of State Legislatures, and it is rarely the case that it Is not known be- fore these members are elected who the candidates for Senator will be and for whom the members are expected to vote. If these Senatorial candidates are not proper men the people are to blame for electing their supporters to the Legislature.
 The Journal argues that the Senate has consistently refused to give the people the right to elect their own Senators, and that they are thus at least indirectly to blame if good men do not always get to the Senate. With out stopping to argue whether that body is primarily or otherwise respon- sible for the failure to give the peo- pie the right to elect by direct vote. we are somewhat curious to know If The Journal really thinks the people would be always sure to elect good men? If so, how does it explain the fact that they do not always elect good men to all the offices. from Governor down? The same influences which cause the people to elect unsafe men to one office would control them in the election of Senators, we should think.
 In one respect it may be true that the Senate itself is to a great extent responsible for the presence of men like Burton. Mitchell, Dietrich and others of the same kind. and that is by sufferance If we could expect all the upright and honorable Senators to refuse to associate with or countenance those tainted members who. hold seats among them we might hope that such men would not try to force themselves into that body. But can we expect that, or have we any right to expect it? When a man has been elected Senator by the Legislature of his State, and there is no cloud on his title, Sem atorial courtesy requires that the oth- CTS treat him with respect and show him the same consideration that they to see how the Senate should bear the blame for it's black sheep, unless be- cause 1t doesn't kick them out.