The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-10-13

TO A joint discussion in no way surprises
me Your constituents must decide
whether your ex-parte and disingenuous
treatment OF the important issues OF tne
campaign is satisfactory.
THE comparison which you make be-
tween Mr.. Brayton and Mr. Comstock ls
unworthy OF you. | need say nothing OF
the former whose career IA well known
but there is no man In this state, Re
publican or Democrat who has made so
great sacrifices OF time and money from
purely patriotic motives as has Richard
B. Comstock. How anyone acquainted
with state politics can associate his lead
ership with the career or the ordinary
self-seeking boss Is incomprehensible.
THE Republican party, you imply IL
lustrates government by the teople. My
answer is that any party long in power
Will become corrupt That such has been
the result OF half century OF almost un-
interrupted power by one party is dem
onstrated by the innumerable scandals In
public and semi-public affairs during the
past two years
You say that the Constitution OF the
United states has worked satisfactorily.
While that is true In the main, IL needs
amendment I'm what way IL should be
changed ought 10 be decided directly by
a majority of the people OF the United
States Are you in favor OF allowing lOO.-
100000 voters to propose a specific amend
ment TO the federal constitution, the prop
ositlon so made to be accepted or reject
ed by majority vote at the succeeding
congressional election? II you do not IA
vor II. then all your talk about a gov
ernment by the people is the merest bum
combe.
lone change imperatively demanded in
the United States Constitution is the cleo
tion OF Senators directly by the people.
Upon this important issue only are you
explicit You are opposed to the popular
election Of United States Senators, and
give as reason the superiority of
Legislature to a party convention.
-.
Legislature may be superior TO a conven-
tion. but II is not as well qualified 10
choose so high an official as is the entire
electorate OF the State This is the opin-
ion OF an overwhelming majority OF the
American people, has been shown by
the repeated action OF the branch OF Con
gress OF which you are a member. and
also by a majority OF the State Legis-
latures. That the people are right, and
YOU and the United States Senate utterly
wrong In the view taken by this question
Is well illustrated by the senatorial situa-
tlon In this State at the present time. As
to the labor question, your expressions
now and heretofore, are so indefinite that
1t is impossible to know what your real
opinions are
LAS to tariff revision being nl-timed
that is not the opinion of very many Re-
publican manufacturers OF New England
10 say nothing of the great mass Of con-
sumers who are paying two prices upon
many OF the absolute necessaries OF life
1t is far better for American prosperity
that the tariff should be revised by the
enemies 9f high taxation than by the
friends and agents of the trusts.
president Roosevelt In his efforts to
worry the trusts received a much more
united and quite as effective assistance
from the Democratic members Of Con-
gress as he did from the Republican mem-
bers-and such ts likely to be the case
i'm future even more than i'm the past
with deep regret that we are not to
face the voters of the Second Congress
sional District as fully and az frankly as
they deserve. ! am,
Yours truly,
"LUCIUS F. GARVIN.
"Lonsdale, oct. ~, 1906"