The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-08-19

tee 4NluleNIdlSiS PiONSSoSo W 1A@
pret and apply this plank, announc-
ing that no contributions would be
received from corporations. that no
individual would be allowed to con-
tribute more than $4,000, and thai
all contributions above S1O0 would
be made public before the election
those received before October Is to
ha made public on or before that
dav, those received afterward to be
made public on the day when re-
ceived, and no such contributions
to be accepted within three days OF
the election. The expenditures are
to be published after the election.
Here is a plan which is complete and
effective.
Popular Elections of Senators.
Next to the corrupt use of money,
the present method of electlng
United States senators is most re-
sponsible for the obstruction OF
reforms. For one hundred years
after he adoption of the constitution.
the demand for the popular election
of senators, while finding increased
expression, did not become domln-
ant sentiment A constitutional
amendment had from time to lme
been suggested and the matter mad
bean more or less discussed IN few
of the states, but the movement hao
not reached a point where it man
ifested itself through congressional
I action. In the Fifty-second congress-
however. a resolution was reported
from a house committee proposing
the necessary constitutional amend
ment, and this resolution passed the
house Of representatives by vote
which was practically unanimous
In the Fifty-third congress similar
resolution was reported to, and
adopted by, the house Of representa-
tives. Both the Fift-second anc
Fifty-third congresses were Demo
cratic. The Republicans gained CON
' troll of the house as result OF the
election of 1894 and in the Fifty
: fourth congress the proposition dice
S in committee. As time went on
: however, the sentiment grew amonE
e the people. until it forced Repuoll
S can congress to follow the example
e set bv the Democrats. and then an
: other and another Republican con
1 sress acted favorably. State ate
+ state has endorsed this reform, un
/ till nearly two-thirds of thestate
d have recorded themselves in its tav
e or. The United States senate, how
y ever, impudently and arrosantly Oh
It srructs the passage Of the resoiu
i ton. Notwithstanding the fact tina
& the voters of the United States, b
:. an Overwhelming majority, deman
Y if. And this refusal is the NOR
e significant when it is remembers
b that number of senators owe tnel
IS election to great corporate interest:
e Three Democratic natio- al platform
e the platforms of 1900. 1904 an
l9OS-specifcally call for chang
s. in the constitution which Will pc
- the election of senators in the hano
- of the voters. and the pToposltlo
: has been endorsed by a number
: the smaller parties. but no Republ
:, can national convention has bee
y. willing to champion the cause
= the people on this subJec
=. The subject was ignored b
>, the Republican national conventlo
= in 1900: it was ignored in 1so'
. and the proposition was explicit
repudiated in 1908, for the receI
a. republican national convention, b
~ vote of S6e to ia, rejected tt
~ plank endorsing the popular electlo
n of senators-and this was done
- the convention which nominated NJ
y Taft. few delegates from his oW
state voting for the plank
nj Personal Inclination Not Sufficient
,e In his notification speech, the r.
e. publican candidate, speaking OF tn
e. election of senators by the peop'
is SAYS: Personally, I am inclined
a. favor it but it is hardly party que
D. ton" What is necessary to max
IS this a party question? When tn
A. Democratic convention endorses
proposition by a. unanimous Tot'
< and the Republican convention n
is jects the proposition by vote {
it seven to one. does it not become a
= issue between the partieso Mr.. Tai
is can not remove the question frol
IS the arena of politics by express1n
J. a personal inclination towards tn
.e Democratic position. For severs
+ wears he has been connected Wit
s. the administration. What has h
e ever said OF done to bring this ques
/: ton before the public? What en-
It thusiasm has he shown in the &c
it formation of the senate? What in
II fluence. could he exert in behalf Q
Il reform which his party has open
J. lr and rotoriously condemned IN It
e convention and to which ne is at
J. tached only by a belated expresslo
e cf personal inclination?
S Tie Gateway to Other Reforms.
\ Shall the people rule?' Ever
|. remedial measure of national char
0 actor must run the gauntlet OF tn
d senate. The president may personal
j ly incline toward a reform; the hous
d may consent to it; but as long as tn
q senate obstructs the reform, the peo
ple must wait. The president ma.
Iheed a popular demand; the hous'
e may yield to public opinion; but a.
t long as the senate is defiant, the rul'
4 of the people is defeated. The De
mocratic platform very properly de
, scribes the popular election of sena
tors as "the gateway to other na
: ;ioral reforms. Shall We open the
f gate. or shall we allow the exploit
! ing interests to bar the way by the
; control of this branch of the fedora
IT.. a i