Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-08-18


comes too late &c be Of service, but why
should the people be kept in darkness
until the election is past? Why should
the locking of the door be delayed until
the horse Is gone?
An Election a Public Affair.
An election Is public AFFAIR The peo-
pie. exercising the right TO select their
officials and TO decide upon the policies
to be pursued proceed to their several
polling places on election day and reg
lister their will. What excuse can be Civ.
en- for secrecy as to the influences at
work. IL q man, pecuniarily interested
in concentrating the control OF the rail-
roads in one management" subscribes .
large sum to aid in carrying the cleo
ton, why should his part In the cam
paign be concealed until he has put the
officials under obligation - him? II a
trust magnate contributes 500, 900 to elect
political friends to Office, with view to
preventing hostile legislation, why should
that fact be concealed until his friends
are securely seated In their Official posi-
tons?
This is not q new question; it IL a ques-
ION which has been agitated-a question
which the Republican leaders fully under
stand-a question which the Republican
candidate has studied. and yet he re-
fuses to declare himself in favor of the
legislation absolutely necessary. nams-
ly, legislation requiring publication before
the election.
How can the people hope to rule, II they
are not able to learn until after the cleo.
ton what ths predatory interests are do
ing? The Democratic party meets the
issue honestly and courageously. 1t says:
I'VE pledge the Democratic party to
the enactment of a law prohibiting any
corporation from contributing to cam
paign fund, and any individual from con-
tributing an amount above q reasonable
maximum, and providing for the publ
- AAfnr@ aiaation Of all such con-
rriDutiorS above a reasonable mlfiimunl.
The Democratic national committee i'm
mediately proceeded to interpret and ap-
ply this plank announcing that no CEN
tributions would be received from cor
porations. that no individual would be al
lowed to contribute more than $4,000 and
that all contributions above 800 wos'.s
be made public before the election-thoss
received before October Is to be made
public on or before that day, those re-
ceived afterward to be made public ON
the day when received. and no such con-
tributions to be accepted within three
days of the election. The expenditures
are to be published after the election.
Here is plan which is complete and
effective.
Popular Election of Senators.
Next to tn, corrupt use OF money, the
present method of electing United States
senators is most responsible for the OBJ
struction of REFORMS. For 100 years after
the adoption of the constitution, the de-
mand for the popular election of senators,
while finding increased expression, did
not become a dominant sentiment A
constitutional amendment had from time
~ fVr10 hoora arrrr Aafo IA
had been more or less discussed in few
of the states, but the movement had not
reached a point where ii manifested it.
self through congressional action In the
Fifty-second congress, however, a reso-
luton was reported from a house COM
mittee proposing the necessary constitu-
tional amendment, and this resolution
passed the house of representatives by
vote which was practically unanimous.
In the Fffty-third congress a similar res
olution was reported to, and adopted 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 F'ifty-fourth
congress the proposition died in commit
tee. AS time went on, however, the SEN
timent grew among the people, until 1t
forced 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 near
ly 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 voters of the United States, by an
overwhelming majority, demand 1t. And
this refusal is the more significant when
ic hat ,bay IF
ators owe their elections to great corpor-
ate interests. Three Democratic nation
al platforms-the platforms of 1900, 1904
, and 190S-specifically call for a change in
the constitution which will put the cleo
ton of senators in the hands of the vo-
ters, and the proposition has been in
dorsed by a number of the smaller par
ties, but no Republican national con-
vention has been willing TO champion
the cause of the people on this subject.
The subject was ignored by the Republic
can national convention in 1900; it was ig-
nored in 1904 and the proposition was
explicitly repudiated in 1908, for the re-
cent Republican national convention, by
q vote of S66 to ia, rejected the plank
indorsing the popular election of SEN
ators-and this was done in the conven-
ton which nominated Mr.. Taft, few dele
gates from his own state voting for the
plank.
Personal inclination Not Sufficient.
In his notification speech, the Repub-
lican candidate. speaking Of the cleo
ton of senators by the people, says:
Personally, I am inclined to favor 1T,
tat it is hardly a party question" What
is necessary to make this party ques-
ton? When tie Democratic convention
vote, and the Republican convention re-
jects the proposition by a vote of seven
Endorses proposition " a unanimous
to one, does 1t not become an issue be-
tween the parties? Mr.. Taft ecn not re-
move the question from the arena of pol
itics by expressing 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 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 VIGOROUSLY condemned in its
convention, and to which he is attached
only by a belated expression Of personal
inclinations
The Gateway TO Other Reforms.
shall the people ruler" Every remedial
measure of national char acter must run
the gauntlet OF the senate The presi-
dent may personally 1nclihe toward
reform; the house may consent to It:
but as long as the senate obsrructs the
reform, the people must wait. The pres
ident 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 pop
ular election of senators as the gate
way to other national reforms" Shall we
open the gate, or shall we allow the ex-
plotting interests to bar the way by the
control of this branch of the federal leg
fslature Through Democratic victory
and through Democratic -ictory only.
can the people secure the popular cleo
ton Of senator's The smaller parties are
unable TO secure this reform: the Repub
lican party. under its present leadership,
Is resolutely opposed to 1t: the Democrat
ic party stands for ii and has boldly de-
manded II. If / am elected to the presi
dency. those who are elected upon the
t-cket with me will be. like myself,
pledged to this reform. and I shall con-
vene congress in extraordinary session
Immediately after inauguration. and ask.
among other things. for the fulhllment
of this platform pledge.