The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-18
Grip Of Corporations on Sen
ate Is Basis of General
ClarnOr.
Fight on Pure Food Bill Is
Example of Trust
Domination.
By w. w. Jermane.

cling under the attacks that
have been made upon it almost with
out interruption for the past year. 1t
is beginning to realize that these at
tacks threaten to crystallze In per-
manent loss of reputation for the SEN
ate and all it's members, and its leading
spirits are now planning for some pro-
gram that will offset -hem.
1t is nothing new to find the country
impatient over senate delay In the
enactment of legislation, but now this
Impotence seems to be taking the form
of sullen resentment and deep-seated
antagonism. Unless something can be
done to show that this condition of the
public mind is without Justification,
public confidence in the senate may be
permanently shaken. The situation is
serious, and, conservative members OF
the senate are beginning to realize this
is the case.
Army Of s'Exposers.'
One. contributing cause of the out
break is probably due to the small army
of young magazine writer's who TINS
winter have been turned loose upon
Washington with instructions to show
: things up. It is no secret that they
have in some ways overstated the Sit
uation-bad as that situation really IS.
Before the close of the present ses-
sion of congress it is likely that sew
eral members Of the senate Will ad-
dress themselves to the sweeping
charges that have been made, and IN
the meantime there has been printed
thousands Of copies of the defense OF
the senate made several years ago by
Senator Hoar Of Massachusetts, when
he addressed himself to the question
of the election Of senators by direct
vote of the people. The senate figures
that public confidence in Hoar is so
great that his word will carry wide
spread conviction and help stop the
present storm of denunciation.
Hoar's Defense of Senate.
It was in 1898 that storm Of pop
ular disapproval of the senate swept
over the country, and took definite form
in congress in resolution providing
for submitting to the people the propo
sition of electing senators by dlrec
vote. This resolutionspassed the house
of representatives almost without
dissent. In speaking on this question
in the senate, MI. Hoar said in part:
"Such a method Of election woult
essentially change the character of tn
INV no io1
that framed the constitution and tn
people who adopted it.
cit would transfer practically til
selection of the members of this bod,
from the legislatures, who are iptrust
ed with all legislative powers of tn
states, to bodies having no other respon
sibilities, whose election cannot b
regulated by law, whose members &C
by proxy, whose tenure of office Is TO
g. single day, whose votes and proceed
ings are not recorded, who act unde
no personal responsibility, whose mi
takes, ordinarily, can only be correcte
bv the choice of senators who do NJ
represent the opinions concerning pu
r lie measures and policies of the peop
who choose them.E 49,. g. =.
Shift Seat of Power.
"It~requires the substitution OF: pr
ralities for maiorities in the electlo
It will transient the seat of polite
power in great states, now distribute
evenly over their territory, to the gre
cities and masses of population.
will create new temptations TO frau
corruption and other illegal practice
and in close cases will give rise to n
merous election contests, which mu
tend seriously to weaken the confiden
of the people in the senate.
cit will absolNe the larger stat
from the constitutional obligatic
which secures the equal representati
of all the states in the senate by pr
yiding that no state shall be depriy
of that equality without it's consel
1t implies what the whole current
our history shows to be untrue, that
senate has during the past -centu
failed to meet the just expectations
H. i \ To-, A,4o I@r-a