Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-18

SHALL The FEOFLE hJLEI
In his speech Of acceptance at Lin
coin Mr.. Bryan got his elOquence and
logic sadly mixed in his effort to prove
that there can be no lasting relief from
the evils and abuses of which the peo-
pie complain until there is a restora-
tion OF the rule OF the people. He
contended that this could not be ac-
complished until the way was pro-
vided for the election of United states
senators by a direct vote of the people.
This is in thorough keeping with Mr..
Bryan's position on that subject for a
number of years. In fact, it is n of
the few propositions on which he has
not changed front to meet the
changes in public sentiment. But Mr..
Bryan was not content to stop with
his recommendation of a change in the
manner of electing United States SEN
ators. He continued his argument
with this statement:
Shall the people ruler They can not do so
until they can control the house of repre-
sentatives, and, through their representa-
tives in the house, give expression to their
purposes and their desires.
That is a complete crossing of the
wires. Even Mr.. Bryan will not con-
tend that the members of the house
of representatives are not elected by
a direct vote Of the people. Whatever
argument may be used against the con-
s%titutional method Of electing United
States senator's, 1t car not apply to the
selection of members of the house.
These members have to go back to the
people every two years with an ac-
count of their stewardship and to sub
NIT their records to the voters of their
districts. They are elected or rejected
by a direct vote of the people, and yet
Mr.. Bryan argues that the people can
not rule until they, get control of the
house of representatives which he de-
scribes as the third fundamentally
employed to defeat the will of the
people" II the people can not rule
through their members of the house,
elected by their direct vote, what as
surance can be offered by Mr.. Bryan
that the people would come n nearer
to their rule If the senators were
elected in a similar way?
Mr.. Bryan might be excused for max
ing this error if he had not had ex-
p~erience in the house OF representa-
tives In congress. He knows, or should
know, that each house is a law unto
itself, so far as its rules are concerned.
He knows, or should know, that the
power now vested in the speaker of
the house and the select committee
on rules-against which republicans
and democrats alike are protesting
may be taken from the speaker and
the rules committee at any time a
majority of the members of the house
SO decide. He knows, or should know,
that the democrats had this opportunity
when Mr.. Bryan was in congress. The
famous. Reed rules, which a been
adopted to stop a democratic fill
buster. we're %readopted by the demo-
cratic majority under Speaker Crisp,
ljust as they have been adopted by each
succeeding congress, These rules are
subject to change at any session of
congress and doubtless should be
changed, but the change will have to
be made by members of the house.
Mr.. Bryan simply befogs the issue by
demanding thai the senate be elected
as the house is now chosen and then
attempting to prove that the people
can not rule until they get control of the
house. The proposition is very similar
to his plea for regulation of railways
in face of his reiterated conviction
that regulation must prove a failure
and that government ownership is the
only remedy for railway abuses and
determinations.