Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1908-08-13

udy Wnen received, ana no such con-
tributions to be accepted within three
days of the election. The expendi-
lures are to be published after the
election. Here is a plan which is COM
plete and effective.
Popular Election of Senators,
the present method of electing United
States senators is most responsible
for the obstruction of reforms. For
one hundred years after the. adoption
of the constitution, the demand for
the popular election of senator's, while
finding increased expression, did not
become a dominant sentiment. A
constitutional amendment had from
time to time been suggested and the
matter had been more or less discus
sed in a few of the States, but the
movement had not reached a point
where it manifested itself through
congressional action. In the Fifty-sec-
ond congress, however, a resolution
was reported from a house committee
proposing the necessary constitutional
amendment, and this resolution pass
ed the House of Representatives by a
vote which was practically unanimous.
In the Fifty-third congress a similar
resolution was reported to, and adopt
ed by, the House of Representatives.
Both the 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 congress
the proposition 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 favorably. State after
State has endorsed this reform, until
nearly two thirds of the States have
recorded themseIvs in it's favor. The
United States. by an overwhelming;
United States Senate, however, i'm
pudently and arrogantly obstructs
the passage of the resolution, not
withstanding the fact that the voters
of the United States, by an overwhelm-
ing majority, demand it. And this refus-
al is the more significant when it is re-
membered that a number of senators
owe their election to great corporate
interests. Three Democratic national
p1atforms-the platforms of 1900, 1904
and 190S-specifically call for a change
in the constitution which VIII put the
election Of senators in the hands of
the voters, and the proposition has
been endorsed by a number of the
smaller parties, but no Republican ma
tionaI convention has bee willing to
champion the cause of the people on
this subject. The subject WAS ignor-
ed by the Republican national owen
ton in 1900; it was ignored i'll 1904,
and the proposition was explicitly re-
pudIated in 1908, for. the recent Re-
publican national convention, by a
vote of S66 to LA, rejected the plank
endorsing the popular election of SEN
ators-and this was done in the con-
vention which nominated Mr.: Taft,
few delegates from i own State vot-
ing for the plank.
Personal inclination Not Suffic lent.
In his notification speech, the Re
publican candidate, speaking Of the
election of senators by the people,
says: personally, I am inclined to
favor it, but it is hardly a party ques-
tion.' What is necessary to make
this a party question? When the Dem
ocratic convention endorses q PROPOSE
ton by a unanimous vote, and the
Republican convention rejects the pro-
lposition by a vote of seven to one,
docs it not become. an issue between
the parties? Mr.. Taft, can not re-
move thu question from the arena OF
!. politics by expressing a personal in
c1ination toward the Democratic posi-
ton For several years he La beer
: connected with the administration
What has he ever. said or done tC
bring this question before the public
> What enthusiasm has he shown in the
. reformation of the senate? What in
!, 1uence could he xer in behalf of &
r reform which his party has openly
, and VIGOROUSLY condemned in it's con
: ~vention, and to, which he is attached
+ only by a belated expression of per
sonal inc%linations2
The Gateway to Other Reforms.
"Shall the people rGie?" Every re
l medal measure of a national charac
4 ter must run the gauntlet of the sen
ate The president may PERSONAL.
a incline toward a reform; the hous'
= may consent to it; but as long as tn
senate obstructs the reform, the pee
n pie must wait. The president ma.
s heed a popular demand; the hous
e may yield to public opinion; but a
J. long as the senate is defiant, the rul
n of the people is defeated. The Demo
cratic platform very properly dc
scribes the popular election of sens
Y. tors as 18th gateway to other nationa
if reforms Shall we open the gate
n or shall we allow the exploiting il
r terests to bar the way by the contrt