The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-05-01
is THE u. S. SENATE HONEST?
By SENATOR B. F. TlLLMAN,
In Lesie's Weekly.

atOrs; while Texas. with two hundred
and sixty-five thousand seven hundred
and eighty square miles, has only two.
1t would be interesting to give some
further account of these glaring in
equalities. but space forbids.
Suffice it to say that the senate was
regarded by the founders of the gov
eminent as the balance wheel which
would protect the smaller and weaker
states against the larger and more
pOpulOus ones. and stand as a bulwark
against any sudden tide of anger
which might sweep over the country
and bring to Washington a house of
representatives which would alone
represent the popular will. 1t has al
ways been an axiom how tickle the
people are, and though "vox populi,
vox Del" has its sanctity, it has not
always been found best to trust i'm
plicitly to that sort of government.
The people often need protection from
themselves. The fathers. too, were
somewhat distrustful of the common
people. and the dual form of govern
ment which they gave us, buttressed
as it is by the supreme court, compels
the profound admiration of all STU
dents of politics. Without prototype
in the past, it stands the quintessence
of human wisdom in governmental af-
fairs.
Only Bulwark Against Revolution.
The house, based on population and
elected by a direct vote, coupled with
a senate representing territory and
state entity, together constitute gov
ernmental machinery that has served
admirably the purpose of compelling
the recognition of the rights and lib
critics of every section of the country.
save in those few instances when sec
tional and party spirit have for the
time created conditions of extreme
partizanship and sectional hatred.
But even under these trying circum-
stances the senate has been the only
bulwark against revolution and threat
ened destruction to our free institu-
tons. This is due entirely to the con-
servatism inseparable from it's origin.
In the evolution of events changes
have been wrought in our govern
mental structure by two potent
causes: l. The immense immigration
of people from Europe who are only
partially informed or are lacking in
sympathy with the fundamental prin-
ciples of our American institutions.
These foreign-born citizens. many of
whom know little of our history have
exercised profound influence on our
country. 3 Then the unparalleled
| influence on our country. ,. Then
the unparalleled progress of the ma
ton along all industrial lines. the i'm
| mense wealth that has been garnered
from our mines, our forests. and the
| products of our fertile fields. have con-
tributed to produce conditions that
were never dreamed of by the fathers
of the republic. Party spirit has lent
its aid toward the transformation that
has been going on, and all of these
instrumentalities have united to SUBJ
| ject our government to the severest
possible test to determine whether or
not it would be a durable structure.
The house of representatives, chosen
by the direct vote of the people, has
| lost immensely in the estimation Of
thinking men in comparison with the
senate, elected by the state legisla-
lures 1T has shown in recent years
striking disability to preserve it's
own independence OF utterance and
action. | would not speak disre-
specially of the house of representa-
tives; but under the Reed Rules" as
they are called, that body, gagged and
manacled, is powerless in measure,
and its members can speak and vote
only under restrictions and limitations
! that are almost pitiable. as far as free
dom of thought and independence of
| action go. The committee on rules
| dictates everything. limits debate, COM
| pels vote. allows no amendment
when it SO wills. and is an effective
piece of machinery to place the con-
troll of the house in the hands of the
speaker and his half-dozen lieutenants
To use the language of witty cor
respondent, you hear the clanking of
chains when the puppets dance"
This has caused the house to lose
its, distinctive characteristic as de-
Lucrative assemblage. and it is only
on rare occasions that there is per-