The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-08-26
the enactment of remedial

Pdiscuss the leading questions at issue,
1 shall at this time confine myself to
the paramount questions, and to the
far reaching purpose Of our party, as
that purpose is set forth in the plat
form.
Shall the People Rule?
Our platform declares that the
overshadowing issue which manifests
itself in all the questions now under
| discussion is Shall the people ruler
| No matter which way we turn; no
matter to what subject we address
ourselves, the same questions con-
fronts us: Shall the people control
their own government, and use that
| government for the protection OF
their rights and for the promotion OF
their welfare? or shall the represen-
tatives of predatory wealth prey upon
a defenseless public, while the Often
ders secure immunity from subserv-
lent officials whom they raise to pow
err by INSCRIPTIONS methods? This
is the issue raised by the known
abuses" to which Mr.. Taft refers.
Poplar Election of Senators.
Next to the corrupt use of money
the present method of electing United
States Senators is most responsible
for the obstruction Of reforms. For
100 years after the adoption Of the
Constitution the demand for the pop
ular election of Senators, while find
ing increased expression, did not be-
come a dominant sentiment. A con-
stitutional amendment had from time
to time been suggested, and the mat
ter had been more or less discussed
in few of the States, but the move
ment had not reached a point where
it manifested itself through Congress
sional action. In the Fifty-second
Congress, however, a resolution was
reported from a House committee
proposing the necessary constitution
al amendment, and the resolution
passed the House of Representatives
by a vote which was practically unan-
imous. In the Fifty-third Congress
a similar resolution was reported to
and adopted by the House of Repre-
sentatives. Both the Fifty-second and
Fifty-third Congresses were Demo-
cratic. The Republicans gained con-
troll of the House as a result OF the
election of 1894, and in the Fifty
fourth Congress the proposition died
in committee. AS time went on, how
ever, sentiment grew among the peo-
ple until it forced a Republican Con-
gress to follow the example set by
the Democrats, and then another and
another Republican Congress acted
favorably. State after State has in
dorsed this reform, until nearly two
thirds Of the States have recorded
themselves in it's favor. The United
States Senate, however, impudently
and %arrogantly obstructs the passage
Of the resolution, Notwithstanding
the fact that the voters of the United
States, by an overwhelming majority,
demand it. And this refusal is the
more significant when 1t is remem
bered that a number of Senators owe
their election to great corporate in
terests. Three Democratic national
platforms - the platforms of 1900,
1904 and 190s-speciically call for
a change in the Constitution which
will put the election Of Senators in
the hands of the voters, and the
proposition has been Endorsed by a
number of the smaller parties, but
the Republican National Convention
has not been willing to champion the
cause of the people on this subject.
The subject was ignored by the Re-
publican National Convention in
1900; it was ignored in 1904, and
the proposition was explicitly repu-
dated in 1908, for the recent Repub-
lican National Convention, by a vote
of 866 to ia, rejected the plank in
dorsing the popular election of Sena-
tors-and this was done in the con-
vention which nominated Mr.. Taft,
few delegates from his W State
voting for the plank.
Personal Inclination insufficient.
In his notification speech the Re-
publican candidate, speaking of the
election of Senators by the people,
says: PERSONALLY, I am inclined to
favor it, but it is hardly a party
question" What is necessary to
make this a party question? When
the Democratic convention indorses a
proposition by unanimous vote, and
the Republican convention rejects
the proposition by a vote Of Z to 1,
does it not become an issue between
the parties? Mr.. Taft cannot re-
move the question from the arena of
politics by expressing a personal in
clination toward the Democratic po-
sition. For several years he has
been connected with the administra-
ton. What has he eve 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 a reform which his party
has openly and VIGOROUSLY con-
demned in it's convention, and to
which he is attached only by a be-
lated expression Of personal inclina-
ton?
The Gateway to Other Reforms.
shall the people rule?" Every
remedial measure of a national char
acter must run the gauntlet of the
Senate. The President may person
ally incline toward a reform; the
House may consent to it; but as long
as the Senate obstructs the reform,
the people must wait. The President
may heed a 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 prop
| erly describes the popular election OF
| Senators as "the gateway to other
national reforms" Shall we open the
| gate, or shall we allow the exploit
ing interests to bar the way by the
| control of this branch Of the Federal
Legislature? Through a Democratic
victory, and through a Democratic
victory only, can the people secure the
popular election of Senators. The
! smaller parties are unable to secure