, 1908-08-12

OF the legislationaabsoiutely nee
namely, legislation requiring |
publication before the election.
Party Promises Publicity.
How can the people hope to rule, II
they are not able to learn until after
the election what the predatory in
terests Ire doing? The democratic
party meets the issue honestly and
courageously. 1t says:
We pledge the democratic party to
the enactment of q law prohibiting any
corporation from contributing to q CAM
paign fund, and any individual from
contributing an amount. above = rea-
sonable maximum. and providing fol
the publication, before election, Of all
such contributions above p reasonable
minimum.'
Z Publio;ty ,toses Limited.
The democratic national committee
immediately proceeded to interpret
and apply this plank. Announcing that
no contributions would be received
rom corporations, that no individual
would be allowed to contribute
more than $4,000, and that all
contributions above 500 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 received, and
no such contributions to be accepted
within three days OF the election. Thu
expenditures are to be published after
the election. Here il a plan which Is
complete and effective.
ne.,t~. Hf~~~. $1,000
Next to the corrupt use of money,
the present method of electing United
States senators is most responsible for
the obstruction of reforms. For n
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 con-
stitutional amendment had from time
toitime been suggested and the matter
had been more OF less discussed in a
few of the states, but the movement
had not reached a point where it mani
tested itself through congressional
action. In the fifty-second congress,
however, a resolution was reported
from a house committee proposing the
necessary constitutional amendment,
and this resolution passed the house
Of representatives by a vote which was
practically unanimous.
Democratic Lose Control.
In the Fifty-third congress a similar
resolution was reported to, and adopt.
ed, by the house of representatives.
Both the Nfty-second and F~ifty-third
congress we're democratic. The repub.
licans gained control of the house as
a result of the election Of 1894 and In
the F%fty-fourth congress the PROPOSE.
ton died in committee. As time went
on, however, the sentiment grew
among the people, until it forced q re-
publican congress to follow the exam
pie set by the democrats, and then an
other and another republican congress
acted ~favorably. State after state has
endorsed this reform, until nearly 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, notwithstand the
fact that the voters of the United
States, by an overwhelming. majority,
demand 1t.
same Old sIfty Charge.
And this refusal Is the more sfgnfa.
cant when 1t IL remembered that 4
number of senators owe their election
to great corporate interests. Three
democratic national platforms-the
PLATFORM Of 1900, 1904 and 1903
specifically caNgfor = changeini the IN.
stitution which Will 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 national convention
has been willing to champion the
cause of the people ON this subject.
The subject was ignored by the re-
publican national convention in 1900:
it was ignored in 1904, and the prop
osition was EXPLICITLY repudiated in
1858, for the recent republican nation.
al convention, by a vote Of. $3.50 to ia,
rejected the plank endorsing the popu.
done in the convention which nominal
ed Taft, few delei ltes from his own
state voting for the plank.
Personal inclination
In his notification speech, the re.
publican candidate, speaking of the
election of senators by tie people,
says: Personally, / am inclined to
favor. it, but 1t Ia hardly a party ques-
ton" What Is necessary to make this
a party question? When the demo-
cratic convention endorses a proposi-
ton by a unanimous vote, and the re-
publican convention rejects the prop
osition by a vote Of seven to one, does
1t not become an issue between the
parties? MI. Taft can not remove the
question from the arena of politics by
expression of personal inclination to-
ward the, democratic POSITION For
several years he has been connected
with the administration. What has he
ever said or done to bring this ques-
ton before the public? What enthusi-
asm has he shown in the reformation
Of the serate? What influence could
hes exert in behald oof. a,reforanawh9ch
his party has openly and notorj0usly
condemned in its convention and to
which he is attached only by a belated
expression OF personal Inclination?
Gateway. to other Reforms.
Shall the people ruler" Every re-
medal measure Of a national character
must run the gauntlet OF the senate.
The president may personally incline
toward q reform; the house may con
sent to 1t; but az long as the senate obs
structs the reform, the people must
wait. b e~president may heed a popn-
lar demand; the house may. yield to
pubic opinion; but as long as the SEN
ate is defiant, the rule Of the people is
defeated. The democratic platform very
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