Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-19

full voters of his district were re-
stricted in the exercise of their fran
chise and the methods employed to ac-
complish such results
AS thus amended the measure passed
the House, and coming to the Senate
was referred to the Committee on
Privileges and Elections, of which l
am chairman. l have to say that
while the Republican membership OF
that committee favored the passage of
the measure as it came from the
House, every Democratic committee
mar was opposed to it ana under no
circumstances, by reason of the
Democratic position, could it have been
passed through the Senate. 1t was
believed then, and is believed now,
that the prevention of lawful voters
from exercising their right of SUI
frage is quite as pernicious and as
destructive of free government as the
use of money in elections.
In the second place Mr.. Bryan de-
c,ares that the people do not approve
of the present method of electlng
United States Senators. The Con-
stitution of the United states provides
for their election by the legislatures
of the states, and the Senate Is the
body in which the states as such are
represented But after entering into
the argument touching the matter, it
is sufficient to say that in many, If
not the majority of the states, the
people are pcrmitted today to lndi-
Gates their preference for United
states Senators, and the preference so
expressed is necessarily potential with
the legislature in exercising its con-
sUtutional prerogative to make
choice Of Senators.
Finally, he asserts the people do not
rule by reason of the Government Of
the House of Representatives, alleging
that the rules of the House do not per-
nit the people through their repre-
sentatiyes to freely legislate. No
statement can be farther from the
fact Under the old law it was prac-
tically impossible to transact public
business You, Mr.. Sherman, and my
self, have served together in the House
of Representatives and have been held
there day after day, and night after
night in an effort to transact the pub
lie business because the Democratic
minority insisted upon the right, while
remaining in their seats, to refrain
from answering roll calls, thereby de-
stroying a quorum.
When Thomas B. Reed of Maine be-
came Speaker of the House he exer-
ciscd wha. he regarded to be his par
liamentary right to count those pres
ent not voting as Il part of the body,
To determine the question whether a
quorum was in fact present. BY this
simple process he put an end TO one
of the most effective means of Ilibus-
tcring. The rules adopted, known as
the "Reed rules are enforced today
and Under these rules it is possible for
the majority representing the people
to transact the public business with
promptncss and dispatch. 1t hardly
lies in the mouth of Mr.. Bryan or the
Democratic party to criticise these
rules in view of the fact that upon
ascension of the Democratic majority
in the House of Representatives and
the election of MIR. Crisp of Georgia as
Speaker, these same rules were en-
tiorsed and adopted and enforced with
rigcr.
These are the three things which Mr..
Bryan mentions as evidence that the
people do not rule.
"Shall the people rule" This ques-
| ton was settled more than half cen
fury ago when Abraham Lincoln stood
| by the sacrif1cial altar at Gettysburg
declaring the purpose of the party
then in power to continue the contest
| in lchalf of popular government and
against the rule of an armed minority.
that in the end there might be eStab-
lshcd in this country "a government
IF the people, by the people and for
the people"
Shall the People Rule?-will be an
swcrcd at the close of the contest in
| November next, as evidences by the
triumphant election of the nominees
of the Republican party for the Office
of President and Vice-President of the
United States"