Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-08-13

an such contributions above a reason
able minimum
Tho democratic national committee
Immediately proceeded 10 interpret
and apply this plank. announcing that
no contributions would be received
from corporations. that no Individual
would be allowed to contribute more
than $4,000. and that an contribu-
tions above 500 would be made pub
lIc before the clection-thosc received
before October Is to be- made public
on or before that day. those received
afterward 60 be made public on the
day when received, ana no uch con
tributions 20 be accepted within three
days Of the election Here rs a plan
which ~ complete and effective.
Popular Election Of Senators.
Next 10 the corrupt use Of money,
the present method Of e~lecting United
states senators is most responsible for
the obstruction OF reforms. For one
hundred years after the adoption Of the
constitution, the demand for he pop
ular election Of senators. while finding
increased expression. did not become
"A dominant sentiment. a Constltu-
tional amendment bad from time to
time been suggested ana the matter
had been more or less discussed In
q few of the states. but the movement
had not reached a point where 1t "a
Tested itself through congressional ac-
ton. In the 6fty-second congress,
however. a resolution vas reported
from q house committee proposing the
a.L.A..... combinations 4.vA,YIVn.Vf
ana this resolution passed the house
Of representatives by a vote which was
practically unanimous, IN the fifty
third congress a similar resolution was
reported to and adopted by the house
of representative. Both the fifty
second and nfty-third congresses were
democratic. The republicans gained
control of the house as q result OF the
election Of 1894 and In the hfty-fourth
congress the proposition died In COM
mittec. As time went on, however,
the sentiment grew among the people.
until II forced "a republican congress
to follow the example set by the dem
ocrats, and then another republican
congress acted fav0rably. state after
state has endorsed this reform. until
nearly tWu-thirds of the states have
recorded themselves in it, favor. The
United states senate, however, Inn
pudcntly and arroRantly obstructg the
passage of the resolution, uotwlth-
standing the fact that tho voters Of
the United states, by an Overwhelming
majority. dcmand II. And this re-
fusal is the more significant when It
ig remembered that a number Of sem
ntors owe their election to great cor
poratc interests. Three democratic
national plntforms-the platforms Of
1900. 1904 md tg0S-specihcallv call
for "A change I'm the constitution which
VIII put the election Of senator's In
the hnnds of the voters. and the prop
oHitlon has been endorsed by n num-
her of no smaller parties. but no re-
publlcan national convention has been
willing to champion the cause of the
pcnplc on this subject. The subject
was ignored hy the republican nation
al convention I'm 1900; It was ignored
in 1904. ana the proposition was OK
pllcltly rcpudiatcd in 1908. for the re-
cent republican national convention.
hv a vote Of 500 TO M. rejected the
plank endorsing the popular election
or scnators-and this was lone Ia the
convention which nominated MT. Taft,
Few delegates from his own state yot
inp FOR the plank.
Personal inclination Not Sufficient,
In his notification speech the re-
publican candidate. speaking of the
election of senators by the people,
personally. | am inclined to fa-
yor II. but It IS hardly "a party ques-
ton 4" What is necessary 10 make this
"a party question? when the democrat-
ic convention endorses a proposition
by a unanimous vote, and the repub-
convention rejects the proposi-
by a vote of seven to one. does
not become an issu between the
parties? Mr.. Taft cannot romovc tho
question from the arena OF politics by
expressing "a personal inclination to-
ward the democratic proposition. For
several years he has been connected
with the administration. What has he
ever said or done 10 bring this Qucs-
before the public what euthu-
has he shown I'M the rcformp-
of the senate What influence
hc exert in behalf Of a reform
which his party has openly and notn-
-iuusN condemned In It's convention,
20 which lac Is attached only 10y n
expression of personal inclina-