The Sauk Centre herald., 1908-08-20

can national convention In 1900 1t was tG-
nored in 1904 and the proposition was
explicitly repudiated in 1908. for the re-
cent Republican national convention. by
vote of s66 to ia. rejected the plank
indorsing the popular election Of sem
| ators-and this was done in the conven-
ton which nominated Mr.. Taft, few dele
gates from his own state voting for the
plank.
Personal inclination Not Sufficient.
In his notification speech the Repub-
| 1ican candidate. speaking of the cleo
ton of senators by the people, says:
Personally, am inclined to favor it,
but it is hardly party question" What
IL necessary to make this a party ques-
ton? When the Democratic convention
vote, and the Republican convention re-
jects the proposition by q vote of seven
tndorses a proposition by q unanimous
to one, does it not become an issue be-
tween the parties? Mr.. Taft can not re-
move the question from the arena of poll
itics by expressing personal inclination
toward the Democratic position For
several years he has been connected with
the administration. What has he ever
said or done to bring this question before
the public? What enthusiasm has he
| shown in the reformation Of the SEN
ate? What influence could he exert in
behalf of reform which his party has
| convention. and to which he is attached
only by belated expression of personal
inclination?
The Gateway to Other Reforms.
"Shall the people rule?" Every remedial
measure Of q national character must run
| the gauntlet of the senate The presi-
dent may personally incline toward I
reform; the house may consent to 1t;
but as long as the senate obstructs the
reform. the people must wait. The pres
ident may heed . popular demand; the
house may yield to public opinion; but as
long as the senate Is defiant. the rule Of
| the people is defeated. The Democratic
platform very properly describes the pop
| ular election of senators as "the gate
way to other national reforms" Shall We
| open the gate, or shall we allow the ex-
plotting interests to bar the way by the
control of this branch Of the federal leg
| fslature Through Democratic victory
and through a Democratic victory only,
| can the people secure the popular elec-
| ton Of senators. The smaller parties are
| unable to secure this reform; the Repub-
hcan party, under its present leadership,
| is resolutely opposed to it, the Democrat
| ic party stands for 1t and has boldly de-
manded 1t. If I am elected to the presi-
| dency. those who are elected upon the
! ticket with me will be- like myself,
vene congress in extraordinary session
Immediately after Inauguration, and ask,
among other things, for the fulfllment
Of this platform pledge.
House Rules Despotic.
The third instrumentality employed to
defeat the will Of the people is found in
the rules of the house of representatives.
Our platform points out that "the house
nf tot fixyoc l.xyf = fl,a
fathers of the constitution, to be the pop
ular branch Of our government, respon-
| sive to the public WILL" and adds:
"The house of representatives as con-
trolled in recent years by the Republican
party, has ceased to be a deliberative
and legislative body. responsive to the
will Of a majority of the members, but
has come under the absolute domination
of the speaker, who has entire control of
its deliberations, and powers of legis-
lation.
I'VE have observed with amazement
the popular branch Of our federal gov
ernment helpless to obtain either the
consideration or enactment of measures
desired by majority Of it's members"
This arraignment is fully justified. The
reform Republicans in the house of rep
resentatiyes, when in the minority in
their own party, are as helpless to OBJ
| measure as are the Democrats. In the
recent session of the present congress,
there was a considerable element in the
Republican party favorable to remedial
legislation; but a few leaders, in con-
troll Of the organization, despotically sup
pressed these members, and thus forced
real majority in the house to submit
to well organized minority. The Re-
publican national convention, instead of
rebuking this attack upon popular gov
ernment eulogized congress and nomfA-
ated as the Republican candidate for
vice-pfesident Sne of the men who
shared in the responsibility for the
coercion of the house. Our party de-
Iaands that ''the house of representatives
shall again become deliberative body.
controlled by a majority of the people, 8
representatives, and not by the speaker -
and is pledged to adopt "such rules and
regulations to govern the house Of rep
resentatives as will enable majority
of its members to direct it's deliberations
and contCol legislation"
'Shall the people rule?" They can not
do so unless they can control the house
Of representatives, and through their
representatives in the house give
expression to their purposes and
their desires. The Republican party is
committed to the methods now in vogue
in the house of representatives; the Dem
OcraUc party is pledged TO such re-
vision of the rules as will bring the pop
ular branch of the federal government
into harmony with the ideas of those
who framed our constitution and found
ed our government.
Other Issues Will Be Discussed Later.
"Shall the people rule?" 1 repeat is de-
clared by our platform to be the over
shadowing question, and as the campaign
progresses, I shall take occasion to dis
cuss this question as it manifests itself
in other issues; for whether we consider
the tariff question, the trust question, the
railroad question, the banking question.
the labor question, the question Of i'm
perialism. the development of our water
ways, or any other Of the numerous prob
lens which press for solution. we shall
find that the real question involved in
each IL, whether the government shall
remain q mere business asset of favor
seeking corporations or be an instru-
ment in the hands of the people for the
advancement Of the common veal
Democrats Have Earned Confidence.
If the voters are satisfied with the
record Of the Republican party and with
its management of public affairs we can
not reasonably ask for a change in ad-
ministration; IL. however. the voters feel
that the people. as a whole. have too lit
tie influence in shaping the policies Of
the government; IL they feel that great
combinations Of capital have encroached
upon the rights of the masses, and en-
DlOyad the inStrlnentalifias of oovorn.