The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-08-20

before the election. OF course, Il satisfies
2 natural curiosity to find out how an
election has been purchased, even when
the knowledge comes too late to be OF
service. but why should the people be kept
IN rknes until the election Is past?
Why should the locking OF the door be de-
layed until the horse Is gomez
An election Is a public affair. The peo-
pie, exercising the right to select their
~officials and to decide upon the policies to
Ing. places on election day and register
Their VIII What excuse can be given for
secrecy as to the influences at work. II
g pecuniarily Interested in con
centrating the control OF the railroads In
one management" subscribes a large sum
TO aid In carrying the election, why should
his part In the campaign be concealed un-
ton to him7 II a trust magnate~ contrib
utes 100000 to elect political friends to
office. with q view to preventing hostile
legislation. why should that fact be con-
cealed until his friends are securely seat
ed IN their official positions7
This is not a new question; II Is a ques-
ton which has been sg~itated-e question
stand-a question which the republican
candidate has studied. and yet he re-
fuses to declare himself in favor OF the
legislation requiring publication before
the election.
Democrats Promise Publicity.
How can the eeople hope to rule, II
they are not able to learn until after the
election THAT the predatory interests are
doing2 The democratic party meets the
issue honestly and couraReously. IT saws:
I'VE pledge the democratic party to the
enactment OF a law prohibiting any cor
| poration from contributing to q campaign
fund, and any Individual from contribute
Ing an amount above a reasonable maxi
nun, and providing for the publication,
above a reasonable minimum."
The democratic national committee i'm
mediately proceeded to interpret and apply
this plank, announcing that no contribu-
TOMS would be received from CORPORATIONS.
that no individual would be allowed to
contribute more than $4,000, and that all
contributions above 500 would be made
public before the e~lection-those received
before October is to be made public on or
before that day. those received afterward
to. be made public on the day when re-
ceived, and no such contributions to be ac-
eepted 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 Election OF Senators.
Next to the corrupt use Of money, the
present method OF electing United States
senator's Is most responsible for the OBJ
struction OF reforms. For 100 years af-
ter the adoption of the constitution, the
demand Tor the popula election OF sena-
tors, While finding increased expression,
did not become a dominant sentiment. A
constitutional amendment had from time
70 ttlnd u6tn suggested anQ the matter
had been more or less discussed in a few
OF the states, but the movement had not
reached a point where II manifested IT
-elf through congressional action. In the
Fifty-second congress. however, a reso-
luton was reported from a House COM
mittee proposing the necessary constitu-
tlonal amendment, and this resolution
passed the House of Representatives by
q vote which was practically unanimous. |
In the Fifty-third congress a similar reso-
luton was reported to, and adopted by,
Fifty-second and Fifty-third congresses
were democratic. The republicans gained
control Of the House as a result of the
election Of 1894 and in the Fifty-fourth
tee. As time went on, however, the SEN
timent grew among the people, until II
forced a republican congress to follow the
another and another republican congress |
acted favorably. State after state has |
Endorsed this reform, until nearly two
selves in its favor. The United States
Senate, however, ~impudently and AFRO
gantly obstructs the passage of the reso-
luton. Notwithstanding the fact that the
whelmlng majority, demand IT. And this
refusal Is the more significant when 1t is
remembered that q number Of senators
W their election to great corporate in
terests. Three democratic national plat
forms-the platforms of 1900, 1904 and 1908 |
specifically call for a change In the consti- |
III III put lIe EICCIIOn Oh Bena- |
tors In the hands of the voters, and the
proposition has been Endorsed by q num-
Der of the smaller parties, but no re-
publican netional convention has been
willing to champion the cause of the
people o n this subject. The subject was
ignored by the republican national con-
vention In 1900; 1t, was ignored in 1904, and
the proposition was explicitly repudiated
In 1905, for the recent republican national
convention, by a vote OF 500 to ia, rejected
the plank tndorsing the popular election
yenton which nominated Mr.. Taft, few
delegates from his OWL state voting for
the plank.
In his notification speech, the republican
candidate, speaking OF the election of
senator's by the people, says: Personally,
i am inclined to favor 1t, but 1t Is hardly
a party question" What 10 necesarsy to
make this q party question: When the
convention indorses a PROPOSE
ton by a unanimous vote, and the repub-
convention rejects the proposition
by a vote OF seven to one, does It not be-
Taft can not remove the question from
the arena of politics by expressing a per-
sonal inclination toward the democratic
connected with the administration. What
has he ever said or Zone to bring this
before the public2 What en-
tiOn lag m mas ne shS w. IN the reforma;
he. exert In behalf of a reform which his
party has openly n VIGOROUSLY con-
demned In its convention, and to which
he is attached only by a belated express
sion OF personal inclination?
Gateway to Other Reforms.
Shall the people ruler" Every RENE
dial measure of a national character
must run the gauntlet OF the Senate. The
president nay personally incline toward
a reformi the House nay consent to it;
but as long as the Senate obstructs the
reform, the people must wait. The presi-
dent may heed q popular demand: the
House may yield to public opinion; but
as long as the Senate is defiant, the rule
Of the people IL defeated. ThC democratic
very properly describes the popu-
lar election OF senators as the gateway
to other national reforms" Shall We open
the gate, or shall we allow the exploiting
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
The smaller parties are unable
to secure this reform; the republican par
ty, under Its present leadership, is reso-
lutely opposed to IT; the democratic party
stands for It and has boldly demanded it.