Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-05
THE POPULAR Discomfort
Impatience at Senatorial Deliberation
in Legislation.
ATTACKS BY YOUNG WRITERS
Grave Consideration Given to the Mat
ter by Some of the Leaders
in Both Parties.


parties to the countrys sudden outburst of
fretfulness with the Senate. 1t is nothing
new to find the country impatient over
senatorial delibcration on legislation. but in
the present case peevishness seems to have
developed into downright resentment and
consequent antagonisms Senators have
been discussing the cause and probable ex-
tent of the situation.
One of the contributing causes is said to
be concerted attack on the Senate by
some young magazine writer's who, emery
ing from Manhattan. have suddenly discov
cred that there is United States Senate,
vested with certain constitutional powers
In the exercise of which the deliberative
body is not moving with the CELEBRITY or
nnanimity demanded by popular clamor.
The deduction is drawn by some of these
youthful st. Georgss-probably not one of
whom up to the present session ever
studied the Senate at closer range than a
desk in Manhattan skyscraper-that be-
cause the Senate does not jump to the
crack of the popular whip it is disloyal to
the public. or dishonest or both.
1t is not to be understood that the elder
statesmen are contemplating yielding to
pressure thus brought upon them. Their
consideration of the situation is rather for
the purpose OF correcting misapprehension.
and certainly not with the object of being
Argument of the Senators.
The railroad rate bill is the measure
upon which public attention seems focused.
The argument of the senators for caution
and elaboration in regard to that measure
is that the very unanimity and speed by
which # passed the House is warrant
enough for careful inspection of its provis-
ions by that branch of Congress which does
nj e1u 10 Ia, salf t,oy, t.r-
rules in order to accomplish results
The Senate does not admit, IL is said, that
the executive is omniscient in its recon-
mendations for that legislation. The ex-
eeutiVe branch of the government is torn
with conflicting opinions about the bill.
acute differences existing between the
President and groups of his cal inet. The
Senate holds, il is claimed that the bill
was moi digested in the House; legislation
swallowed whole is not likely to be, it is
remarked.
The intention is said to be firmly held by
democrats and republicans as well to give
the rate bin careful and judicial consider
alton. according to the traditions of the
Senate, all public cfamor and maya zine re-
formers to the contrary Notwithstanding.
There is declared to be no danger of the
bill being defeated. 1t is going through.
but when 1t reaches final enactment it Will
bear the traces of something more than the
rough hewing bestowed upon 1t by the
House. 49, H. =
AS TO the attacks on the Senate, they viii
7be answered before the session closes 4
number OF Senators have speeches In mind
In nthe meantime the Senate has ordered
a; reprint of the celebrated speech of the
late Senator Hoar. made in the Senate
April and Z. 1893, on. the subject of
senators by direct vote. This speech is
being sent into many parts of the coin-
try. Senator Hoar's defense of the sys-
ten created by the fathers has held rank
as one of the greatest constitutional argli-
ments delivered in the Senate.
Senator Hoar's Resolution.
1t will be recalled that in 1892, responding
to some sudden popular Impotence with
the upper body, the House passed, without
debate, resolution proposing to submit 70
the states constitutional amendment for
election of the Senate by direct vote of the
people. To that Senator Hoar opposed a
resolution, as follows:
That it is inexpedient that the resolution
sent to the Senate by the House of Repre-
sentatiyes during the last Congress, pro-
viding for an amendment of the Constitu-
ton securing the election of senator's by
the people of the several states, be
adopted.
such a method of election would essen
TALLY change the character of the Senate
as conceived by the convention that framed
the Constitution and the people who adopt
ed 1t.
1T would transfer practically the seiec-
legislatures. who are intrusted with all
legislative powers Of the states, to bodies
having no other responsibilities whose
election cannot be regulated by law whose
members act by proxy, whose tenure of
office Is for g. single day, whose votes and
proceedings are not recorded. who act I'M
der no personal responsibility, whose mis-
takes ordinarily; can only be corrected by
the choice of senators who do not represent
the opinions concerning public measures
and policies of the people who choose them.
PIuralities for Eajorities.
1T requires the substitution of piuralities
for majorities In the election. 1t will trans
fer the seat of political power in great
states, now distributed evenly over their
territory, to the great cities and masses
of population. 1t will create new tempta-
tons to fraud, corruption and other illegal
practices, and In close cases will give rise
to numerous election contests which must
tend seriously to weaken the confidence of
the people in the Senate.
1T will Absoive the larger states from
the constitutional obligation which secures
the equal representation of all the states
in the Senate by providing that no state
shall be deprived of that equality without
its consent. 1t implies what the whole cur
rent of our history shows to be untrue, that
the Senate has during the past century fail
ed to meet the just expectations of the peo-
pie, and that the state legislatures have
proved themselves unfit to be the deposit
taries of the power of electing senators.
THE reasons which require this change
IL acted upon and carried to their logical
result, will lead to the election by the di-
rect popular vote, and by popular majori-
ties of the President and of the judiciary,
and will compel the placing of these cleo
tions under complete national control II
will result in the overthrow of the whole
scheme of the Senate and, in the end OF
the whole scheme of the national Coflsti-
tuition as designed and established by the
trainers of the Constitution and the people
who adopted it
Popular Deliberate viii Represented.
The closing apostrophe of the remark
able speech in which Senator Hoar ad-
dressed himself to that resolution was as
follows:
.,The great eonauests which gave the
Union and Constitution their empire over
the reason and affection of our country
men have been achieved here Here Web
ster hurled the weighty projectiles of his
irresistible argument. Here the voice of
Clay taught his countryrnen north and
south the great lesson of reconciliation.
Here Calhoun was borne in his dying hours.
his great heart overcoming the weakness
and infirmities of his sinking body, sitting.
as his colleague said. like "a wounded eagle,
with his eyes turned to the heavens to