Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-08-21

before the election. Or course, II satisfies
election has been purchased, even when
the knowledge comes too late to be of
service, but why should the people be kept
In darkness until the election is past?
layed Unit the horse Is gomez
An election Is a 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 poll
ing places IN election day and register
their will. What excuse can be given for
secrecy as to the Influences at work? III
a man, ~pecuniarily interested In con
centrating the control OF the railroads in
one management" subscribes a large sum
to aid in carrying the election. why should
his part In the campaign be concealed un-
til he has put the officials under obliga-
ton TO him? II a trust magma contrib
utes 100000 to elect political friends to
office, with a view to preventing hostile
legislation, why should that fact be con-
cealed until his friends are securely seat
ed In their official positionsf
This is not a new question; 1t Is a ques-
ton 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. namely,
legislation requiring publication before
the election.
Democrats Promise Publicity.
How can the people hope to rule. II
they are not able to learn until after the
election what the predatory interests are
doing? The democratic party meets the
Issue honestly and courageOusly. 1t says:
I'VE pledge the democratic party TO the
of a law prohibiting any cor
poration from contributing to a campaign
fund. and any individual from contribut-
ing an amount above a reasonable maxi
num-, and providing for the publication,
before election. of all such contributions
above a reasonable minimum"
TkA t-~
mediately proceeded to interpret and apply
this plank, announcing that no contribu-
TOMS would be received from corporations,
that no individual would be allowed to
contribute more than $4,000, and that all
contributions above 800 would be made
public before the election-those received
before October Is to be made public on or
before that day, those received afterward
to be made public on the day when re-
ceived, and no such contributions to be ac-
cepted within three days of the election.
The expenditures are to be published after
the election. Here Is a plan which Is
complete and effective.
Popular Election Of Senators.
Mex to the corrupt use of money, the
present method of electing United States
senator's is most responsible for the OBJ
struction OF reforms. For 100 years af-
ter the adoption of the constitution, the
demand for the popular election of sena-
tors, while findjng 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 discussed In a few
of the states. but the movement had not
reached q point where 1t 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
a vote which was practically unanimous.
In the Fi~fty-thfrd congress a similar reso-
luton 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 Fifty-fourth
congress the proposition died In commit
tee. As time went on, however, the SEN
timent grew among the people, until IL
forced a republican congress to follow the
example set by the democrats, and then
another and another republican congress
indorsed this reform, until nearly two
thirds of the states have recorded lhem-
selves In Its favor. The United States
Senate, however, impudently and AFRO
gantly obstructs the passage Of the reso-
luton, Notwithstanding the fact tina the
voters of the United States, by an over
whelming majority, demand II. And this
refusal is the more Significant when II IS
remembered that a number of senators
owe their election TO great corporate In
terests. Three democratic national plat
tOfDOE-ttlc platforms OF l5uU, lH4 ana iJDS-
specifically call for a change in the consti-
tuition which will put the election of sena-
tors In the hands of the voters, and the
proposition has been Endorsed by a num-
Der Of the smaller parties, but no re-
publican national convention has been
willing to champion the cause of the
people on this subject. The subject was
ignored by the republican national con-
vention in 1909; it was ignored in 1904. and
the proposition was explicitly repudiated
In 1908, for the recent republican national
convention. by a vote of 500 TO ia, rejected
the plank indorsing the popular election
OF senators-and this was done In the con-
vention which nominated Mr.. Taft, few
delegates from his WI state voting for
the plank.
In his notification speech, the republican
candidate. speaking Of the election OF
senator's by the people, says: Personally, I
/ am inclined to favor It. but Il Is hardly
a party question" What Is necesarsy to
make this a party question? When the
democratic convention indorses a proposi-
ton by a unanimous vote, and the repub-
lican convention rejects the proposition
come an issue between the parties? Mr..
Taft can not remove the question from
the arena of politics by expressing a per-
sonal inclination toward the democratic
connected with the administration. What
has he ever said or done to bring this
question before the public? What en-
thusiasm has he shown IN the reforma-
tiOA " tiC DcbdCCE HiIucltC tuulu
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 express
sion of personal inclination?
Gateway to Other Reforms.
"Shall the people rule?" Every RENE
dial measure OF a national character
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 people must walt. The presi-
dent may heed a popular demand: the
may yield 10 public opinion; but
as long as the Senate is defiant, the rule
of the people is defeated. TIE democratic
platform very properly describes the popu-
lar election of senators as 1.-The gateway
to other national reforms" Shall we open
the gate, or shall we allow the exploiting
to bar the way by the control
of this a of the federal legislature?
a democratic victory, and
through a democratic victory only, can
the people secure the popular election of
The smaller parties are unable
to secure this reform; the republican par
ty, under ITS present leadership, Is reso-
luteiy opposed TO It: the democratic party
stands for IL and has boldly demanded Il.
II i am elected to the presidency, those
who are elected upon the ticket with me
will be. Xix myself, pledged to this re-
form. and l shall convene congress in ex-
traordinary session Immediately after in
auguration. and ask. among other things,
for the fulfillment OF this platform pledge.
Democrats Earn Confidence.