Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-15
ROOT,s ApDHEss aTd sUONxEN,tIoN

~ s"m - "iislr OF oSns 81"
ROOTS sADDHEssdTd sUONVEN,fT0N-
-'f e1-rE 49, sH 10 E Fft'
s~ecretarynOf state Talks 90 Rennb-.
- means ne Saratsna. rE,s itcE1'
SARATOGA, NJ X, Seph. ai4Lseoretsry'
Of State Efihu Root, speaking TO the re-
publican state conventions today. said IN
part: .e~.N,,. srnt ..ts-f,, 81
The democratic party announces as the
issue of this campaign upon. which they
ask the voters Of The country to take the
powers OF administrator s1ndd Legislation
away from the party that has thus proved
Its competency, and to embark upon the
experiment OF democratic control--as tire
oyershadowing issue" the question, Shall
Do not the people ruf6Y This. is a rer-
rasentatIve government 1t Is not surely
proposed to do away with representation
and have S.0O.OoO OF people make and ex
tervention of legislative and executive
agents. Are not the laws being made ane
executed by the agents whom the people
have selected for that purpose? l find that
by the lawful returns of the last presidcn-
tial election Theodore Roosevelt received
Alton B.. Parker. Haa he not a good title
TO the officer Are not the people ruling
through, him, their ch6seh Executive, 50
Tar as his part of the government IS en-
cerned2 Has not every congressional dis
trict been represented in. congress by the
man whom a majority OF It's voters Sc
Hlectedr ls not every state Te~presented In
legislature stfeeted BY me people, Of the
state for the perforgnaRee, o. that very
But Mr.. Bryan gives SPECIFICATIONS, He
says there are three reasons why The Tpeo-
First, because thersris a corrupt usD of
money at elections Doeecshe mean to say
MAJ mT. t Reo ss%sSpG Of n SgSeg (Which SsF Sqns sesaS.,
can electorate Is ss5ai' Does he tfoaqeq
slightest, Does he produce any facts tend
ice Of such ehsysSt None w6ate9er;
American elections are fair and honest
elections, and that the government IN
washington has beep. wieldl9g the powers
clesr and unQuestionable VIII Of the people
of the United States Campaign Funds
were raised and used IN the hast election
by both parties, as they ought to have
been raised and used. Mr.. BFyan's mans
ayers are appealing for contributions Of
.camraign funds today. Tile universal and
intelligent discussion OF rsreat questions OF
public policy by the American people DUR
Ing a presidential Campaign is the most
of government IN tine world. 1t is that
which makes the people ever more COM
peteht to govern Justly and wisely. No
.efciSe Of E5verninS fntenisenc9 IS fir spent
and to furnish $1,000 O0s people with ma
information and arguments and refutafion
of argument. and appeals, through spublfu
speech and through the mails and private
fcanvass. requires organization, the labor
of thousands of men and the expenditure
of great SUMS The repetition of small BX-
pfBses among a great multitude ef people
with a rspfdity diffieht to realize. The
postage on q single letter mailed to each
Of the 400. So0 voters of the country
useful purposes and to such PURPOSES only
was the republican campaign fund of the
last election devoted. ~ s
Election Of Senators.
The second reason why Mr.. Bryan says
the people 10 not rule Is that we have
not direct election Of senator's, and he
holds the republican party responsible for
not having procured an amendment to the
constitution OF the United States to pro-
vide for that. There is no more necessity
for an amendment to the constitution pro-
vidtng for the direct election of senators
than there is for an amendment TO the
constitution providing for the direct cleo
lion Ok president; III the, people Of any
as senator, they hayss only to instruct their
legislature, as the people OF a considerable
do now, and no legislature wilt ever for a
moment think of .~disQpeying. the instruc-
lions any more than presidential electors
violate their obligations. The proposed
amendment Is simply 10 enable tho people
OF each state to escape from the Perform
a sbst OF OF the hs. DUTY e eieeting a legislature
abandon the performance of that duty?
Are we 70 assume thai eur state ~legisla-
unfit % Tepressnf Tx. bseoble Of the gstateY
II so, what becomes Yef the government OF
the state?. Is that. with all its, multitude
any state Legislature CANNOT. now be trusted
the true reform would, seem to be in the
direction Of selecting the legislature
the selection Of legislative candidates by
direct primaries would be- a material Inn
p se6ss az 5m ana SSulg ss gPesslSS ndii9Srease The
constituents on, the part OF the members
Of the state legislature, In, such primaries
the voters could Instruct their candidates
II they saw fit, regarding THE selection of
senator's But that is a question the peo-
pie OF each state can settle for themselves
without any amendment 70 the 3constltu-
ton, and however they settle It, they, rule
IN the way they prefer to rule! If any leg
islature under the constitution, do nor
choose a senator who properly represents
the people OF the state. It is because the
people OF the state have failed In their
duty In the selection of their legislature.
Let them perform their duty under the
constitution as It Is. rather than clamor
for an amendment 10 the constitution to
enable them TO escape that duty. In the
long run, to secure good government we
must ultimately come down to the faithful
performance OF duty by the people of the
performance. ~
HuIes of national House.
The third reason why, the people do not
rule. says Mr.. Bryan is TO be found In the
rules OF the House Of Representatives. The
Denver convention declared in its platform
that II observed with amazenient the popO-
lar branch of our federal government helps
less to obtain either the consideration or
enactment Of measures desired, by a, ma
jority of Its members Who makes the
rules of the House OF Representatives?
Why, a majority of it's members, and a
majority can change them as. II will. Mani
testify, there must be rules to control the
conduct OF the business of the house. or no
business could be done. Over 10000 bills
were introduced In the last session Of con-
gress, and there are 1856 members. II one
tenth OF the members had attempted to
speak five minutes each on one-tenth' OF
the bills that were introduced, working
eight hours a day for the average legisla-
ture session and permitting the trahsac-
ton OF no other business, they would lave
been speaking still, and the term of office
of the entire congress would expire before
o~ne-fourth OF the one-tenth could be heard.
Plainly, there must be rules to limit ora
tory, to provide for the selection Of the
measures which shall come up for discus
sion, and TO provide for the transaction OF
the real business OF legislation. All legis-
lative bodies have to adopt such rules, and
the larger the bodoy the more necessary
are the rules and the more stringent they
have TO be. II is On invariable incident TO
the transaction of all legislative business
that from time to time members who are
not allowed to talk as lon and as often as
they please TO the exclusion Of others and
who cannot have the measures they are
particularly interested In acted upon In
preference TO other measures, rise up and