The Penn's Grove record., 1908-08-21
BRYAN'S ACCEPTANCE
The Great Issue Is:
.SHALL THE PEOPLE RULE?"
PopuIar Election Of Senators.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

CONTINUED FROM AST WEEK
Popular 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 n
hundred years after the adoption OF
tie constitution, the demand for the
popular election Of senators, while nno-
ing increased expression, did not De-
come a dominant sentiment. A con-
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 1t mani
tested itself through congressional ac-
ton. In the Fifty-second congress,
however, a resolution was reported
from a house committee proposing the
necessary constitutional amendment.
and this resolution passed the house
Of representatives by q vote which
was practically unanimous. In the
Fifty-third congress a similar resoiu-
ton was reported to, and adopted by,
the house Of representatives. Both
the Fifty-second and Fifty-third con-
crosses were Democratic. The Repub-
leans gained control Of the house as
a result Of the election of 1894 and IN
the F~ifty-fourth congress the PROPOSE
ton died In committee. AS time went
on, however, the sentiment grew among
the people, until it forced a Republican
congress to follow the example set by
the Democrats, and then another and
another Republican congress acted fa-
vorably. State after state has endorsed
this reform, until nearly two-thirds of
the states have recorded themselves IN
its favor. The United States senate,
however, impudently and arrogantly
obstructs the passage Of the resolution,
Notwithstanding the fact that the vot-
ers Of the United States. by an over
whelming majority, demand 1t. And
this refusal is the more significant
when It is remembered that a number
of senators owe their election to great
corporate interests. Three Democratic
national platforms-the platforms OF
1900. 1904 and 19O9-specihcally call
| for a change In the constitution which
will put the election Of senators In the
hands Of the voters, and the PROPOSE
/! ton has been endorsed by a number
| of the smaller parties, but no Repub-
| lican national 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; 1t was ignored In
| 1904, and the proposition was explicit
ly ~repudiated in 1908, for the recent
| Republican national convention, by a
vote Of 800 to ia, rejected the plank
endorsing the popular election Of sena-
| tors-and this was done In the eonven-
| ton which nominated Mr.. Taft, few
| delegates from his own state voting for
the plank.
Personal inclination Not Sufficient.
In his notification speech, the Repub-
llcan candidate, speaking Of the cleo
ton of senators by the people, says:
Personally, 1 am inclined to favor it,
but it is hardly a party question"
What is necessary to make this a party
question? When the Democratic con-
vention endorses a proposition by q
unanimous vote, and the Republican
convention rejects the proposition by a
vote Of eve to one, does 1t not be-
come an issue between the parties?
MI. Taft can not 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 administration. What has he ever
said or done to bring this question be-
fore the public? What enthusiasm
has he shown in the reformation of
the senate? What influence could he
exert In behalf Of a reform which his
party has openly and VIGOROUSLY con-
| demned In its convention, and to which
he is attached only by a belated tx
preston Of personal inclination?
Tho Gateway to Other Reforms.
"Shall the people ruler" Every
remedial measure Of a national char
acter must run the gauntlet Of the
senate. The president may personally
incline toward a reform; the house
may consent to it; but as long as the
senate obstructs the reform, the PEG
pie 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 properly describes the
popular election Of senators as "the
gateway to other national 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
a Democratic victory, and through a
Democratic victory only, can the peo-
pie secure the popular election of sen
ators. The smaller parties are unable
to secure this reform; the Republican
party, under its present leadership. is
resolutely opposed to it; the Democratic
party stands for it and has boldly de-
manded it. If 1 am elected to the
presidency, those who are elected upon
the ticket with me will be. like my
self, pledged to this reform. and !
shall convene congress in extraordf
nary session Immediately after inau.
guration, and ask, among other things
for the fulfllment Of this platform
pledge.
/ House Rules Despotic.
The third instrrmentality employed
to defeat the will Of the people is
found in the rules of the house of rep
resentatives. Our platform points OUT
that "the house of representatives was
designed by the fathers Of the consti-
tuition, to be the popular branch of our
government, responsive to the public
WILL" and adds:
1.-THE house of representatives, as
controlled in recent years by the Re
publican party, has ceased to be a de-
] Lucrative and legislative hody rosnoo-