The broad ax., 1908-08-15

question: When the Democratic con-
! ventlOn endorses q proposition by .
unanimous vote. and the Republican
convention rejects the proposition BIZ q
vote Of seven 70 one. does II not BE-
cone an issue between the partiesf
Mr. Tart can not remove the question
from the arena Of politics By express
ing q 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 BE-
fore the pubhc3 What enthusiasm
has he shown In the reformation Of
the senate? What influence could he
exert IN behalf OF q reform which his
party has openly and VIGOROUSLY con-
demned In its convention, and to which
he IL attached only by a belated ex-
preston Of personal inclination?
The Gateway te Other Reforms.
'shaIl the people ruler" Every
remedial measure Of q national char
acter must run the gauntlet Of the
senate. The president may personally
incline toward a reform; the house
may consent 70 It; but as long as the
senate obstructs the reform, the PEG
pie must wait The president 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
Il al -
gateway to other national reforms"
Shall we open the gate. or shall we
allow the exploiting interests to bar
the way by the control OF this branch
Of the federal legislature1 Through
Democratic victory, and through
Democratic victory only, can the peo-
pie secure the popular election OF SEN
ators. The smaller parties are unable
to secure this reform; the Republican
party, under its present leadership, Is
resolutely opposed to It; the Democratic
party stands for 1t and has boldly de-
manded It If / am elected to the
presidency, those who are elected upon
the ticket with me viii be, like my
self. pledged to this reform, and I
I
nary session Immediately after inau-
guration, and ask, among other things,
for the fulhIlment Of this platform
pledge.
House Rules Dsspotie.
The third fundamentally employed
TO defeat the win Of the people ID
found IN the rules Of the house Of rep
resentatives. Our platform points out
that ''the house Of representatives was
designed by the fathers Of the consti-
tuition. to be the popular branch Of our
government, responsive to the public
WILL" and adds:
THE house Of representatives,, as
controlled In recent years by the Re
publican party, has ceased to be q de-
Lucrative and Legislative body, respon-
sive to the viii Of majority Of the
members, but has come under the alb
solute domination Of the speaker. who
has entire control OF its deliberations,
and powers Of legislation.
I'VE have observed with amusement
the popular branch Of our federal gov
eminent helpless to obtain either the
consideration or enactment Of meas
ures desired by a majority Of Its mem
bers."
This arraignment is fully justified
The reform Republicans in the house
Of Representatives, when In the minor
fly In their own party, are as helpless
to obtain hearing OF TO secure a vote
upon a measure as are the Democrats.
In the recent session Of the present
congress, there was a considerable ele-
ment In the Republican party favorable
to remedial legislation; but a few lead
ers. In control Of the organization,
despotically suppressed these mem
bers. and thus forced a real majority
In the house to submit to a wen organ
lied minority. The Republican national
convention, instead OF rebuking this
attack upon popular government eulo-
gized congress and nominated as the
Republican candidate for vice president
one Of the men who shared in the re-
sponsibIIity for the coercion OF the
house. Our party demands that '-the
house Of representatives shall again
become a deliberative body, controlled
by a majority Of the peoples repre-
sentatiYes, and not by the speaker"
and is pledged to adopt such rules
and regulations to govern the house
Of Representatives as VIII enable ma
jority Of its members to direct its de-
alterations and control legislation"
"shaIl the people ruler They can
not DO 50 unless they can control the
house Of Representatives, and through
their Representatives In the house, give
expression to their purposes and their
desires. The Republican party Is
committed to the methods now In
J vogue IN the house Of Representatives;
the Democratic party is pledged 20
such q revision Of the rules as VIII
bring the popular branch Of the fe0erai
government into harmony with the
ideas OF those who framed our eonso-
tuition and founded our governmenG
oth.r Issues viii Be Discussed Later.