The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1908-08-13
Continued from page 6

800 .Enn SlOO1 Z -
nnimous vote, and the Republican
p~rpntion rejects the proposition by a
~ - Of sever to one, does it not be-
Vroo an issue between the parties?
y Taft can not remove the question
-, the arena OF politics by express
a personal inclination toward the
su,ocratic position. For several
~ he has been connected with
= administration. What has he ever
~ or done to bring this question be-
go the public? What enthusiasm
no shown in the reformation Of
r. senate? What influence could he
VT IN behalf Of a reform which his
~ has openly and VIGOROUSLY con-
med in its convention, and to which
is attached only by a belated ex-
'.ession of personal inclination?
The Gateway to Other Reforms.
N.shall the people ruler" Every
..oediaI measure Of a national char
tor must run the gauntlet of the
'.rste. The president may personally
,..Ijne toward a reform; the house
nav consent to It; but as long as the
mate obstructs the reform, the peo-
- mist wait. The president may
s.od q popular demand; the house may
Iold to public opinion; but as long as
- senate is defiant, the rule Of the
sonle is defeated. The Democratic
IIstform very properly describes the
@Gomllar election Of senators as "the
90 o@bor ro%iOpol ~oF0~roS -
Shall we open the gate, or shall we
allow the exploiting interests to bar
the way by the control of this branch
~ the federal legislature? Through
q Democratic victory, and through a
memorable victory only, can the peo-
nile secure the popular election Of sen
stors. The smaller parties are unable
IN secure this reform; the Republican
marty. under its present leadership, Is
resolutely opposed to it; the Democratic
marty stands for it and has boldly de-
handed it. If / am elected to the
presidency, those who are elected upon
the ticket with me will be. like ny
self, pledged to this reform, and I
shall convene congress In extraordt-
nary session Immediately after lnau-
Surat1on, and ask, among other things,
Efor the tulfllment Of this platform
sledge.
Hous0 Rules Despotic.
The third fundamentally employed
to defeat the will Of the people Is
found In the rules Of the house Of rep
r~esentativeS. Our platform points out
that the house Of representatives was
designed by the fathers Of the const1-
tution to be the popular branch Of
government, responsive to the public
will" and adds:
'HThe house Of representatives, as
controlled In recent years by tie Re-
publican party, has ceased to be a de-
Lucrative and legislative body. respon-
hve to the will Of a majority Of the
members, but has come under the alb
sOlute domination of the speaker, who
has entire control Of its deliberations
and powers Of legislation.
we have observed with amaZement
! The popular branch Of our federal gov
eminent helpless to obtain either the
CONSIDERATION or enactment Of meas
ures desired by a majority of its mem
/ beS."
This arraignment is fully justified.
The reform Republicans in the house
of representatives, when in the minor
ty in their OWL party, are as helpless
to obtain a hearing or to secure a vote
upon a measure as In the Democrats.
In the recent session Of the present
congress, there was a considerable ele-
ment in the Republican party favorable
to remedial legislation: but a few lead
,ers, in control Of the organization,
despotically suppressed these mem
bers, and thus forced q real majority
IN the house to submit to a we'll organ
lied minority. The Republican national
convention, instead of rebuking this
attack upon popular government. euO-
gized congress and nominated is the
Republican candidate for vice president
one of the men who shared IN the re-
sponstbility for the coercion of the
house. Our party demands that "the
house Of representatives. shall again
become a deliberative body, controlled
by a majority Of the peoples repre-
sentatives, and not by the speaker"
and is pledged to adopt 'such rules
and regulations to. govern the house
Of representatives as will enable a ma
1ority Of it's members to direct its de
alterations and control legislation"
Shall the people ruleY' They can
not do so unless they a 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 Democratic party is pledged to
such a revision Of the rules as will
bring the popular branch Of the federal
government into harmony with the
Ideas Of those who framed u constt-
tuition and founded our government.
Other Issues Will Be Discussed Later.
Shall the people ruler" 1 repeat, is
declared by our platform to be the
oFershadowing question, and as the
campaign progresses, I shall take occa-
Sion to discuss this question as it man.
TESTS itself in other issues; for whether