The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-01-30

senate pourS on a barrel
or so 81 oil. But it does not turn
aside. All Wiii be still AGAIN som.
day. For President aud Congressman
and reform waivers they come and -.
but the Senate gocs on forever. Dem
ocrat o. Republican. young or old.
rich or pooT. dcma2ogIc or pluto
gogic. the Senate has charms to
s0othc them all. The Senate mas Inat-
ncrs and traditions: il is formal .ua
easy; il has free speech aad implied
power. Supposed to be an oligarcAy
it j. III itself A dcnocrac! a POLISH
democracy. somebody called ii. Glasi,.
UP Of mobiles, and that is very pleas
ant. senators become devoted - the
Senate, and. like the Church for the
church ana the Army for the Army.
senators, standing for the Senate
come 10 stand for what the Senats
stands for. And what is hiatt
| can admire the senate. / can see
how. if / Iivcd here long enough,
might come to prefer the Senate-aS 4
precious taste prefers a sonnet-fal
its perfect self alone. But what does
the some sing What does the SEM
ate do? We are a practical people. W
want 10 knoW not that it Is beautiful
but simply whether the Senate rep
rcscnts Us. Does it?
! don't know. / dont know Whaj
the Senate represents. because | don't
h4toN NIIdl Oil TIE iEtttlE ItlLiE' u
in the Senate. But / know VIVA SOM
Of the Senators represent at home
Looking down upon it from the gal
iery / see my" Senators from my
State. and / know what they represent
Mt home. Thomas G.. Plat was the
boss of the political organizations
which has old me out for years in
New York. and ~Chauncey NJ. DcpcW,
his colleague. has represented at home
the New York Central Railroad and
other big businesses which have
bought me out for years. Then there
is Senator Aldrich. Of Ithod Island.
! know Rhode Island. and | know MIR.
Aldrich's standing in that state. SEN
Aldrich represents the state or
ganization which has Systematically
corrupted the people of his state, the
very voters themselves who for SO
much q head have let their legislators
give away to Aldrich and his friends
franchises and privileges which they
have capitalized and sold out for for
tunes to Pennsylvania promoters. And
Mr.. Aldrich's colleague. enator Wet
morc-he is not SO important. But !,
contributed largely to the campaign /
funds which were used to corrupt the
people of Rhode Island, ana therefore
he was sent to the Senate. He rep
rCsents Newport in the summer time.
SO with other Senators from other
States. | know a dozen of them. and
their stories. and | know what they
represent at homo. We can go into
these circumstances latcr-after we
enough here to form some notion
of What they represent here, they and
their colleagues, the ninety Senators
to Washington to represent ali Of
US in al of our forty-fve States.
1t is the fashion in Washington to
ignore the past Of our" representa-
tiVes. That is one reason why the city
is so pleasant for them. And it is Il !
fair and Il practical attitude. Why
should Washington question the wis
of our choice Of governors? But
don't expect to dwell long in
Washington. our view is different. We
want to forget the past, too; and we
will if our representatives in the
no matter how they got their
seats, Will represent US. L * only
fair, for me, however, to admit q
prejudice against the Senate, and hav-
confessed. to explain it. Since the
senate is made up SO largely Of men
such as those | have named, how can
t represent you and me in the Sen
lte2 | can we'll believe that there
is no bribery there. | can bclicvc
men may reform after most sue
ccssful careers of corruption; for | .
nave seen such reformcrs. And I
admire dignity. II courage, and
courtesy, and ability. But what |
want to ask now is this:
Aren't these Senators likely to rep
'eSent honestly here that same Svste-
matte dishonesty that they have stood
for at home? Let us watch them
his session and see; not without pre-
but with minds r~eopcncd. will
.nG to see the Senate as it sees itself.
cut insisting also on seeing it as it
seems to us to be.
LINCOLN STEPHENS.