Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1908-08-13
Popular Election Of Senator's.

Next to the corrupt use Of money. the
present method Of electing United States
senator's is most responsible for the oh
struction OF reforms. For iea years after
the adoption OF the constitution. the de-
mand for the popular election % senator's.
while fnding increased expression. did
not become a dominant sentiment. \
constitutional amendment had from time
to time been suggested and the matter
had been more or less discussed in few
Of tn. states but the movement had not
reached a point where II manifested it.
self through congressional action. In the
Fifty-secOnd congress. however. reso-
luton was reported from house COM
ulfttae proposing the necessary constitu-
tiouai amendment. and this resolution
passed the house OF representatives, by
a vote which was practically unanimous.
In the Fifty-third congress a similar res
otutton was reported To. and adopted by
the house OF representatives Both the
Ffffy-second and Fifty-third congresses
were Democratic The Republicans gained
control Of the house a result Of the
election ef 1851 and in the F'ifty-fourth
congress the proposition died in commit
tee As time went on. however. the SEN
tirgent grew among the people. until u
forced a Republican congress 10 follow
the example set by the Democrats. and
then another and another Republican
congress acted fANHFAuAA- staAe @ttNE
state has indorsed this reform. until near
IL two-thirts Of the states have recorded
themselves in its favor. The United
states senate. however. impudently and
arroxantly obstructS the passage Of the
resolution. Notwithstanding the fact that
the voters OF the United States. BY an
overwhelming majority. demand H. And
this refusal is the more significant when
IL l. remembered that number OF SEN
atorS owe their elections to great corpQr-
a.. tn,er~stx Three Democratic nation
al platform--the platforms OF 1850. 1904
and isaS-specincally call for a change In
the constitution which will put the cleo
tion of senator's in the hands OF the vo-
ters and the proposition has been in
dorsed by a number Of the smaller par
ties but no Republican national con-
veutfou has been willing to champion
The cause Of the people on this subject
The subject was ignored by the Repuoh-
can national convention in 1859 II was ig-
nored in 1884 and the proposition was
explicitly repudiated in 800. for the re-
cent Republican national convention. by
t. vote OF Sss TO ia. rejected the plank
indorSing the popular election Of SEN
.torS-and this was done in the conven-
tion which nominated Mr. Taft. few dele
yatas from his own state voting for the
plank.
shall the people rule Every remedial
measure Of a national character must run
the gauntlet OF the senate The presi-
dent may personally incline toward
-s,orr,- the house may consent to IL:
hu, as long as the senate obstructs the
reform. the people must wait The pres
dent may heed a popular demand the
house NAV yield TO prblic opinion; but as
long as the senate Is defiant, the rule OF
the people is defeated. The Democratic
platform very properly describes the pop
w 10 other national reforms" Shall we
onen the gate. or shall we allow the eN-
ploiting interests to bar the way oy the
control OF this branch OF the federal leg
tslature Through a Democratic victory