The morning journal-courier., 1908-08-13

!
stitutional amendment had from time
to time been suggested and the matter
had been more or less discussed In a
few OF the states, but the movement
had not reached a point where It mani
Tested Itself through congressional ac-
tlon. In the Fifty-second congress-
however, resolution was reported
from a house committee proposing the
necessary constitutional amendment,
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
or representatives., Both the Fifty
second and Fifty-thrd congresses were
democratic. The republicans gained
control Of the house as result OF the
election OF 1894 and In the Fifty-fourth
congress the proposition died In COM
mittee. AS time went on, however, the
sentiment grew among the people, until
1t forced republican congress to fol-
low the example set by the democrats,
and then another and another republic
can congress acted favorably. State
after state has endorsed this reform,
until nearly two-thlrds Of the states
have recorded themselves in Its favor.
The United States senate, however, i'm
pudently and arrogantly obstructs the
passage of the resolution, notwith-
standing the fact that the voters of the
United States, by an overwhelming ma
| nytt LII III.
Is the more significant when II Is re-
mombered that number of senators
owe their election to great corporate
interests Three democratic national
platforms--the platforms Of 1900, 1904
and specifically 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 number of the
smaller parties. but no republican ma
tional convention has been willing to
champion the cause of the people on
this subject The subject was ignored
by the republican national convention
in 1900: II was ignored in 1904, and the
proposition was explicitly repudlated In
A"NN' a'i Aii' l'NtliN iNPhphNdl
convention, by vote of S66 to ia, re-
Ijected the plank endorsing the popular
election Of senators-and this was done
In the convention which nominated Mr..
Taft, few delegates from his own state
voting for the plank,
Personal Inclination Not Sufficient.
In his notification speech the re-
publican candidate speaking of the
election of senators by the people, says:
Personally, | am inclined to favor 1t,
but 1t Is hardly a party question"
What Is necessary to make this a
party question? When the democratic
convention endorses proposition by
a unanimous vote, and the republican
convention rejects the proposition by
a vote Of seven to one. does II not be-
come an issue between the parties
Mr.. Taft cannot remove the question
from the arena of politics by express
ing a personal inclination toward the
democratic position. For several years
he has been connected with the adj
mnistration 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 openly and notoriously con-
demned in its convention, and to
which he is attached only by belat-
ed expression of personal inclination?
The Gateway to Other Reforms.
Shall the people rule?' Every rem
edial measure of national character
must run the gauntlet of the senate.
The president may be personally in
clined toward a reform; the house
may consent to II; but as long as the
senate obstructs the reform. the peo-
pie must wait. The president may
heed n 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 dem
ocratic platform very properly de-
, scribes the popular election OF sena-
! tors as the gateway to other national
r reforms" Shall we open the gate. or
! shall we allow the exploiting interests
{ to bar the way by the control of this
, branch Of the federal legislature ?
Through democratic victory. and
: through a democratic victory only,
can the people secure the popular