Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-02-20
Bravo, Senator punham.
Cedar Rapids Republlcan.)

Il '"A Aaohis SoiIhO T. lol NolC. IL Il II
pears that the senate was filled W
with hunkies, or at least with mer
who did not dare to vote against
the absurd proposition, in the face
OF the governor. who was personally
present to encourage the funkies
and to discourage the towards. He
seems to have been very successful
in both respects.
But there was one senator whom
he could not bulge, and who had
the courage to stand up for his own
convictions. That man was Sena-
tor Dunham of Delaware county, our
oeighbor to the north. He voted
against the proposition, and before
doing so rose and offered the follow
ing:
| Mr.. President: | wish to have in
corporated in the journal the follow
ing, as an explanation Of my vote
upon the joint resolution for con
stitutional convention: | vote no
upon that proposition for the fol-
lowing reasons:
First-Because ! am not in sym
pathy with the proposition to re-
move, from the choice of the United
States senator, the safeguard de-
vised by the trainers of the constitu-
ton to insure the cool judgment of
the people in choosing the members
for the smaller body of the national
congress.
Second-I believe it is bad policy,
if not unsafe. to call convention to
amend or revise the constitution
with no check upon its deliberation
at a time when the country is un-
settled on so many important ques-
tons of varying interests to it's diff
ferent sections.
Third-Because the senators rep
resenting the state of Iowa have al
ways been an honor to the state and
the action Of the state in taking the
lead in this matter, if not considered
as criticism Of its representation
in the senate, will appear as ian un-
solicited intermeddling with the
affairs Of our sister states, and Iowa,
under all existing circumstances,
should stand as guarding rather
than attacking the constitution.
Geo. w. Dunham.
That little document is the brav-
est and sanest note that has been
entered on the transaetior.s Of the
present legislature! is an indi-
cation that all sanity rs not yet dead,
and that there is still hope 81 a re-
covery from the present toadyism
and partisanism and factionalism.
They have been SO rampant in the
present Legislature that no business
has been transacted, except the bust
ness of personal politics. The legis-
lature which is now in session was
elected under the spell of Mysteries
last summer and its membership is
worshipping at the feet of one man.
We confess, that following the
election last fall, we were disposed
to welcome a new era in Iowa poll
tics. We would even have been
willing to have Mr.. Cummins go the
United States Senate, if man less
worthy than Senator Dolliver had
not stood in the way. The people
at the polls had entered their ap-
proval of Senator Dolliver, as much
as their approval Of the executive.
But the course that the governor
is pursuing with regard to the sena-
torship is not, in our opinion bring
ing him nearer that much sought and
much desired goal Of his political
ambitions. To encompass that am
bition he is now using the extreme
measure Of seeking to amend the
constitution of the United States.
He is still laboring under the belief
that if the people had voted last fall
on senator that he would have been
their choice, and not Senator Dolliver.
Be that as it may, ope should not
Judge public questions entirely from
the personal standpoint. We be-
lieve that the governor is lessening
his influence in Iowa by shown g
such anxiety to encompass his own
election to the senate, sometime or
other. The governor has been
strong in the past because he has
been able to make it appear that Of
flee was seeking him rather than he
seeking the office.
Senator Dunham is right in as.
serting that in Iowa the present
method Of electing United States
senators has resulted uniformly in
the choice Of good men. There has
never been senatorial scandal in
this state. This is the last state
from which such movement should
come, for this state has been the
first in good service under the pres
ent system. The impression giver
out that there is a deep dissatisfac.
ton in Iowa is not correct i'm
preston. 1t is false in every way
Under the present system Senator
Dol]iver has just achieved re-elec
ton without personal efforts of an,
kind, without asking man for hi
vote. He has done it without fac
tion or personal following. He ha
done it on his own merits and OF
the merits of the good sense of thu
people Of this state.
The legislature that did not dar,
to vote against him, although ther
was much plotting in that direction
because that he had the approva
Of the people, the Legislature nov
Ioop6o n fta,. b;p, +1,o ,Le,,,L ,,,o,>a