Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-12-13
The Des Moines Conference.

The Des Moines conference cOmpos-
ed of delegates from thirty states, to
start a crusade in favor of electing
senators of the United States by pop
ular vote. is of much more Importance
than most folks are apt to consider it.
The chances are that it is the begin
ming of the end of the present system.
That a majority of the voters of Amer
lea are in favor of electing senators by
popular vote is beyond question, but
to attain that end it is necessary to
amend the constitution, which is so
generally regarded as a hopeless task
that many persons favorable to the
change have paid little attention to
the sporadic efforts hitherto put forth
in that direction. This Des Moines
conference means that hereafter there
is to be systematic effort to accom-
plish the desired result. There is
prevalent idea that in amending the
constitution the initiative must come
from the congress-that is to say, that
the congress must by a two-thirds ma
1ority in each house submit an amend
ment. which to become effective must
be ratified by three-fourths of the
states. Indeed, up to the present time
that has been the modus operandi, but
there is an alternative method proyid-
ed for in the constitution by which the
states themselves may take the initia-
tive, and this appears to be what the
Des AIoines conference is up to. Even
in that way it will require long and
systematic effort to achieve the end
| in view, for every evil influence in the
country will be arrayed solidly against
| it. 1T would go far toward eliminating
| the boss from the political equation.
Consequently every boss, big or little,
| in esse or in posse, will fight it tooth
and nail The corporation influence
| Gncluding the trusts will be dead
against it. Two-thirds of the United
States senators will bend every energy
| to defeat it, and majority of would
be senators will also be dead against
the proposition. 1t is safe to say that
no really sound argument has ever
been advanced against it. Some people
argue that in some occult manner
| the proposed reform would initiate
against state sovereignty, but, pray, OF
what is state composed? OF its peo-
pie. and this proposed amendment sim
| ply gives to the people the right which
| is now delegated by them to the mem
| bers of the legislature.
| 1t will be remembered that originally
most of the states, if not all of them,
conferred upon the legislature the pow
er of selecting presidential electors,
| whereas at the present time the presi-
dental electors are chosen by the vot-
ers themselves in every state IN the
| Union. The truth is that the closer all
elections are brought to the great body
| of the people the safer become our in
tstitutions. Precisely how much the ar
gument that the proposed reform
would initiate against state sovereign
| ty may be realized by recalling the
I fact that South Carolina and Missis-
Isippi, the advocates par excellence OF
state rights, have long since OF their
| own motion adopted by law the plan
| of nominating their United States SEN
| ators at primary elections, the result
being considered as binding instruc-
| lions to the legislature. and in these
1.-TWO commonwealth there is not any
demand to return to the old order OF
| things. The new plan has worked adj
mirably not only in these two states,
| but in others where it has been tried
No man has ever been able to advance
a reason why candidates for the Unit
1 ed States senate should not go before
the people upon the stump, explain
their views and be judged upon their
merits, as candidates for the house Of
Representatives have done since the
| Foundation of the government.
| Quite Natural