Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1905-07-28
By AN X-SPEAKER OF A STATE
IEGISLATURE

Unless the method of electing United
States senators is changed only men
with extraordinarily strong pulls or
uncommonly long purses can hope to
win the coveted togas, Time was, and
not so very long ago, when United States
senatorial campaigns were conducted
along moderate lines. In those days the
candidate wrote few letters, made
few visits to some of the pivotal
counties, then hied him to the state cap
ital and there awaited the unpledged
and open minded state senators and as
semblymen.
But modern methods have changed all
this, and now a United States senator
is made, not elected. The vote in the
house and senate, except in rare Rses,
is merely the ratification of caucus &C
ton. 1t is the consummation, however,
of several years Of intrigue, hard cam
paigning, keen and unsentimentai poll
tics, promise-giving and pledge making,
job-trading and in the majority OF cases
plain, unvarnished and unblushing
bride asking and bride giving.
No campaign or agitation which Gen.
ters on the legislature of a state has in it
80 much Of interest to the practical poll
tician or onlooker who understands the
moves as the campaign which leads up
to the election of United States sem
ator. And no election is so little I'M
derstood. | often have been astounded
at the dense ignorance of all that goes
into the making of United States sena-
tor shown by men who seemed to be
well-informed citizens.
Yet should not have been surprised,
for so much of the preliminary work is
of the gum-shoe campaign variety that
frequently old, seasoned members Of
the general assembly are completely
fooled.
This kind of campaign frequently
brings into conflict the state and feder-
al machines, for in every state there are
two distinct organizations; one head
ed by the governor and the other by one
or both senators. When the candidate
is United States senator seeking re-
election and is opposed by the governor
of the state, the federal and state pay
rolls are the rival awards held up be-
fore the coveted lawmakers. If the jobs,
in hand or promises, are not enough, the
man who wants to succeed himeslf opens
his barrel.
Some good people have deluded them
selves into believing that because some
candidates for senatorial honors are not
rich men money is not used in their
campaigns except in legitimate and
therefore small way. The cold, hard
fact is that any. man who carries the
hall mark of success in politics and who
is looked upon as winner in a race
for seat in the United States senate
has no need to spend one lone cent of his
own money. Bank accounts of which
he had never heard; funds from sources
he had never known, ready cash from
hands he never before had grasped are
his for the intimation; he doesn't even
have to ask.
This eagerness on the part of certain
kinds of men who control certain kinds
of great transportation and manufac
turing businesses explains why compar.
atively poor men have been able to carry
out to successful conclusion long, ex
pensive campaign. And when that mar
gets into the senate he is not going tC
have his financial hackers, his angels,
say he Is man with cold feet" He is
going to make good for he will need thai
same kind of money, those same influ
ences; those same brands of passes anC
get busy" letters when he comes before
the people and legislature of his stat,
for reelection.
have said that United States sena
tors-I shall modify that statement by
saying most of them-are made, no
elected One of the statesmen who rep
resented our state in the upper cham
Der in Washington was MANUFACTURED
by great railroad whose general office
were in the principal city of my state.
know he was made because was one O
the men who worked on the job. TIL
sequence of processes which entered in
20 the making of this senator begal
when the railroad people decided the
wanted one of their attorneys to loo
after their interests in the nationa
capital.
have been told that the man himsel
had not the slightest idea of becomin
candidate until he was told by his 81
perior that the great ones had pickle
him out as likely probability for tog
honors. This picked-out candidate ha
few of the personal qualities whic
count so much in the great game of pol
tics. He was not friend maker; he Wa
not a good mixer; he was a fair spell
binder, had had some public experience
and the fact that he was favored alto
uey of the road was conclusive evident
that he knew how to get value receive
from city councils and state legislature
But he was what is known in the trat
as IAN available man." He carried Il
right political brand; his home TOW
was the center of a powerful polite
district and as he had never been -four
out there was no smear on his publ
record
IL 1t,