The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-08-12

/ SO,ie a dominant sentiment. a consul
| tutiOnaI amendment lau nom time 80
| lInie ueen suggested ana IAe matter
had been more az less discussed IN a
| lew u The states. but the movement
had not reached point where IL man
| liesteo itself tnro9sh congressional ac-
| tIVn. In the ntty-second congress. now p
| ever, u resolution was reported from
mouse committee proposing the neceS-
sary constitutions amendment, anu lnls
! resolution passed the mouse OF repre-
| sentallvcs w vote wnlcn was praG-
ticaily unanimous. In the nIty-.hiid
] congress similar resolution was re-
ported 10. anu adopted by. the house
VI representatives. Both The NIFTY
ond and hfty third congresses we've
Democratic. The Republicans gained
| control OF the house as IA result Vt the
election Of 1894 and In the nrty-rourth
congress the proposition died in COM
mittee. As time went on, however, the
| sentiment grew among the people un-
Ill IL forced Republican congress To
follow the example set by the Demo-
Gratis. and then another and another
Republican congress acted favorably.
| state after state has endorsed this re-
| form. until nearly two-thirds OF the
| states have recorded themselves In It's
| favor The United states senate, how
| ever. impudently and arrogantly OBJ
structs the passage or the resolution.
ers Of the United States. by an over
whelming majority. demand II. And
this refusal Is the more Significant
when II Is remembered that number
| corporate interests. Three Democratic
national platforms-the platforms OF
| 1900. 1904 and ls0s--specifcally call for
| a change In the constitution which will
| put the election OF senators In the
| hands OF the voters. and the PROPOSE
| ton has been endorsed by number
lican national convention has been
willing to champion the cause of the
people on this subject. The subject
was ignored by the Republican nation
/ "A Cpnvantinn 1900. ~ iRnOrQh
In 1904. and the proposition was explic-
| lilly repudiated In 1908. for the recent
Republican national convention. by
endorsing the popular election OF sena-
| tors-and this was done In the conven-
ton which nominated Mr.. Taft. few
delegates from his own state voting
| for the plank.
Personal Inclinntion Not Sufficient.
In his notification speech. the Repub-
lican candidate. speaking OF the cleo
Personally. / am Inclined to favor 1t,
but II Is hardly party question"
What IL necessary to make this a party
question? When the Democratic con-
unanimous vote. and the Republican
| convention rejects the proposition by
come an issue between the parties7 Mr..
TAFT can not remove the question from
the arena Of politics by expressing a
personal inclination toward the Demo
cratic position. For several years he
has been connected with the admins
tration. 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 a reform which his party has
Its convention. and to which he is at
tached only by belated expression of
personal inclination?
The Gateway to Other Reforms.
Il. ia
edial measure OF a national character
must run the gauntlet Of the senate.
The president may personally incline
toward reform: the house may con-
obstructs the reform. the people must
walt. The president may heed a popu-
lar demand: the house may yield to
public opinion; but as long as the SEN
ate Is defiant, the rule OF the people Is
defeated. The Democratic platform
very very properly describes the popular
to other national reforms" Shall we
open the gate. shall we allow tho
exploiting interests to bar the way by
oral legislature7 Through a Demo-
cratic Victory. and through a Demo-
cratic victory only. can the people Sc
The smaller parties are unable to Sc
cure this reform: the Republican party.
under Its present Leadership, Is reso-
party stands for It. and has boldly de-
manded 1t. II am elected to the pres
idency, those who are elected upon the
ticket with me will be. like myself
pledged to this reform. and shall con-
vene congress In extraordinary session
immediately after Inauguration. and
ask. among other things, for the full
fllment Of this platform pledge.
House Rules Despotic.
The third fundamentally employed
to defeat the Will OF the people is
found In the rules OF the house OF rep
1 PA m m a In ln fnH r.Att a.,f
that the house of representatives wps
! 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-
| Lucrative and legislative body, respon-
sive to the Will Of a majority OF the
| members. but has come under the alb
| solute domination OF the speaker, who
| has entire control of It's 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 majority Of its mem
bers."
This arraignment is fully justified.
| The reform Republicans in the house
| OF representatives. when in the minor
fty In their own party. are as helpless
to obtain hearing or to secure vote
| upon measure as are the Democrats.
| In the recent session of the present
| congress. there was considerable elc-
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 ma jority in
the house to submit to well organ
| lied minority. The Republican nation
al convention, iQstead of rebuking this
attack upon popular government.
| eulogized congress and nominated ds
the Republican candidate for vice pres
| ident. one OF the men who shared In
| the responsibility for the coercion OF
| the house. Our party demands that
| the house OF representatives shall
| again become a deliberative body, con-
trolled by n majority of the peoples
| representatives and not by the speak
err" and Is pledged to adopt such rules
and regulations to govern the house of
tority OF its members to direct its de-
| liberations and control legislation
Shall the people ruler" They car
not do so 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 com
mitted to the methods now In vogue
Democratic party Is pledged to such a
revision OF the rules as will bring the
popular branch OF the federal govern
ment into harmony with the ideas OF
those who framed our constitution and
founded our government
Other Issues Will BE Discussed LATER.
Shall the people rule? / repeat IS
declared by our platform to be the
overshadowlng question, and as the
campaign progresses, | shall take oc-
casiOn to discuss this question as n
nanifests Itself n other issuey for
whether we consider the tarin dues
tion, the trust question. the rail- Dad
question, ethe banking question. tn. la
! bOl question the question of itnu. tai