Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-29
BENJAMIN R. Ti11man

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ut is common thing to see the Senate held up
to obloquy and contempt as being subserv1ent
instrument of trusts and monoPohes. One
- reads in the newspapers and magazines the
most bitter denunciations of the Senate as a body
because of its supposed subserVence to the moneyed
interests When | first came to Washington L
shared in the fullest degree this feeling; but nave
come to believe after eleven years service IN the
Senate that there are really few corrupt men IN It,
The vice of environment in Washington IS not SO
much that of plutocracy it is that of party sub
serviency If there is corruption in the Govern
ment land | do not pretend to dispute th1s), 1t IS
not due to the corruption of individual men nearly
so much as it is to the corruption OF the party to
which those men belong, and if we look for the real
cause of the popular clanOr against the Senate we
will find this to be the cause.
The newspapers of the country, controlled IN
great degree BY the plutocratic influences which
dominate the party in power, have been seeking
break down and destroy the respect OF the people
for the Senate for the sole purpose OF Kidding them
selves of the last forum of freedom in this country
The most strenuous effort has been made to compel
the Senate to change its rules, to adopt the methods
of the House, and to do business, to use the cur
rent phrase, by passing legislation demanded with
out discussion and the freest debate. The purpose
has been to keep the people from knowing Just what
is being done by their representatives IN Washing
ton. The House as / have already said, is gagged
of its own free will and accord, of cOurse-and
the attacks the Senate have had the same object
in view to compel it to shut oil debate and thus
leave the country without any forum IN which the
great questions at issue can be discussed.
1t is not going too far to say that the mOneyed
classes who have amassed such immense fortunes
have in a large measure seized on the metropolitan
newspapers; and the news of the country is sup
pressed colored to suit the purposes OF these same
interests The agencies and press assOcia
lions are equally under this influence; that there
is only one medium through which correct informa-
ton as to what is going at Washington can be
obtained, and that is The Congressional Record.
Many newspapers, of course, maintain their indi
vidual correspondents in Washington, and these
send truthful accounts of what they see and hear;
but the bulk of the which the people
allowed to read is that which is calculated to do the
least harm to the interests which are in control
The Most August Tribunal"
IT is a common expression to hear the United
States Senate described as the most august de-
Lucrative tribunal in the world and to q student
of history and governmental affairs these words
in no sense an exaggeration. 1t is equally common
to hear the Senate abused IN the most vituperatve
manner and its members charged with being the
tools and agents of trusts and monopolies. The
power of the Senate is very great, and this being
1t with it great responsibilities. The
Senate represents the States, two members for each
State, regardless of territory, population, wealth.
The ninety Senators representing the forty-hVe
States exercise a commanding influence all gov
ornamental affairs
But there great inequalities. New York with
a population of seven million two hundred and sixty
eight thousand and with wealth almost beyond
computation, has only two Senators; while Nevada,
admitted to the Union in 1904, although it is two
and one-fourth times as large in territory New
York, has only forty-two thousand three hundred
population, and yet has two Senators. 1t is re-
by The lated nday Maglzi