Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-13

1
posing the necessary constitutional
amendment, and this resolution passed
the houSe of representatives by vote
| which vas practically unanimous. In
the Fifty-third congress. similar res
olution was reported to, and adopted
1 by, the house of representatives. Both
the Fifty-second and F'ifty-second and
Fifty-third congresses were demo-
cratic. The republicans gained control
of the house as the result of the cleo
ton of 1894 and in the Fifty-fourth
congress the proposition died in COM
mittee. AS time went on. however,
the sentiment grew among the people,
until 1t forced a republican congress
| to follow the example set by the dem
ocrats, and then another and another
republican congress acted faVorablv.
State after state has endorsed this re-
reform, until nearly two-thirds of the
states have recorded themselves in Its
favor. The United States senate, how
ever, impudently and arrogantly OBJ
structs the passage of the resolution,
/ Notwithstanding the fact that the vot-
ers of the United States, by an over
whelming majority demand it. And
this refusal is the more Significant
when it is remembered that number
of senators owe their election to great
corporate interests. Three democratic
national platforms-the platforms of
/ 1900, 1904 and 190S-specificall call
fol- change in the constitution which
will put the election of senator's in the
hands of the voters and the PROPOSE
ton has been endorsed by number
of the smaller parties, but no republi-
can national convention has been Will
ing to champion the cause of the peo-
pie on this subject The subject was
ignored by the republican national
convention in 1900; it was ignored IN
1904, and the proposition was explic,
lilly repudiated in 1908, for the recent
republican national convention, by a
vote of S66 to ia, rejected the plank
endorsing the popular election of SEN
ators-and this was done in the con
vention which nominated Mr. Taft
few delegates from his own state vot.
ing for the plank.
Personal inclination Not Sufficient.
In his notification speech, the repub
. lican candidate, speaking of the cleo
ton of senators by the people, says:
, Personally, I am inclined to favor it,
but it is hardly party question,
!; What is necessary to make this a
, party question? When the democratic
convention endorses proposition by
unanimous vote and the republican
, convention rejects the proposition by
, vote Of seven to one, does it not be-
, come an isue between the parties
Mr.. Taft can not remove the question
from the arena of politics by express
! ing a. personal inclination toward the
democratic position. For several years
: he has been connected with the admin
; istration. What has he ever said CT
done to bring this question before the
public? What enthusiasm has he
shown in the reformation of the sen
t ate? What influence could he exert
in behalf of a reform which his party
) has openly and notoriusly condemned
| in it's convention, and to which he Is
/ attached only by a belated expression
/ of personal inclination?
3 The Gateway to Other Reforms.
> "Shall the people ruler" Every
> remedial measure of a national char
} acter must run the gauntlet of the
| senate. The --Hs,dent may personally
incline toward reform; the house
may consent to it; but as long as the
, senate obstructs the reform, the PEG
/ pie must wait. The president may
) heed popular demand; the houss
! may yield to public opinion; but as
long as the senate is defiant, the rule
of the people is defeated. The Demo
cratic platform very properly describes
the popular election of senators as
"the gateway to other national re
, forms Shall we open the gate, OIL
shall we allow the exploiting interests
; to bar the wy by the control of this
, branch of the federal legislature
Through a Democratic victory ant
through a Democratic victory only
can the people secure the popular cleo
) ton Of senators. The smaller parties
are unable to secure this reform; the
Republican party, under it's presen
, leadership, is resolutely opposed to it.
the Democratic party stands for it ant
, has boldly demanded it. If am elect
, ed to the presidency, those who arc
; elected upon the ticket with me viii
! be, like myself, pledged to this reform
and ] shall convene congress in extra
{ ordinary session Immediately after in
' auguration, and ask, among othe
. things, for the fulfillment of this plat
form pledge.
:: House Ruling Despotc.
r The third fundamentally employed
', to defeat the will of the people i
v found in the rules of the house of rer
) resentatiWes. Our platform points GU
that "the house of representatives wa
o designed by the fathers of the const
e tuition, to be the popular branch o
o our government, responsive to tn
j public will" and adds:
IA "The house of representatives, a
q controlled in recent years by the Re-
# publican party, has ceased to be d.
|. Lucrative and legislative body, respol
sive to the will of a majority of tn
e members, but has come under the al
t solute domination of the speaker, VIII
It has entire control of its deliberation.
d and powers of legislation.
II 1--WE have observed with amaze
e ment the popular branch of our fe;
IS eral government helpless to obtai
e. either the consideration Or enactmer
e. of measures desired by majority {
N its members