The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-08-20

Ing places on election day and register
their will. What excuse can be given for
a man, p~ecuniarily interested In Con
centrating the control of the railroads In
one management" subscrIbes q large sun
to adm carrying the election. why should
his part In the campaign be concealed un-
til he hassput the officials under obliga-
ton e ,o him? e e trust magnate contrib
office. with "a view to preventing hostile
legislation. why should that fact be con-
ed In their official positions?
This is not a new question: It IL 81 ques-
ton which has been agitated-a question
stand-a question which the republican
candidate has studied. and vet he re-
fuses to declare himself in favor Of the
legislation requiring publication before.
the election.
Democrats Promise Publicity.
How can the people nope to rule. Il
s sIsst,a are w mot a bic to S,a lean m, Until ,nls after the
doing? The democratic party meets the
issue honestly and -courageousiy. 1t says:
enactment Of a law prohibiting any cor
sporation from contributing to a campaign
fund. and any individual from c%ontribnt-T
mum. and providing for tho publication,
before election. of all such contributions
above a reasonable minimum"
The democratic national ommittee Inn
mediate1y proceeded to interpret and apply
this plank. announcing that no contribu-
thai no Individual would be allowed to
contribute more than 10000. and that all
contributions above 500 would be made
before October 15 to be made public on or
before that day. those received afterward
to be. made public on the day when re-
ce1ved. and no such contributions to be ac-l
cepted within three days of the election.
The expenditures are to be published after
the election: Here is q plan which is
C0nnIatP and HffGPffNa IstEHN# ELEHN5
Popular Election of Senators.
Next to the corrupt use of money. the
present method of electing United States
senators Is most responsible for the OBJ
s str tts OF reforms; For 100 years At
demand. for the popular election OF sena-
tors, while finding increased expression.
constitutional amendment had from time
to time been suggested and the matter
had been more or less discussed in a few
reached a point where it manifested tt.
self through congressional action. In the
Fifty-second congress. however. a reso-
mittee proposing the necessary constitu-
tional amendment, and this resolution
a vote which was practically unanimous.
In the Flfty-third congress a similar reso-
luton was reported to, and adopted by,
Fifty-second and Fifty-third congresses
were democratic. The republicans gained
control control Of the boz House as a result Of the
congress the proposition died in commit
tee. AS time went on. however. the SEN
forced a republican congress ,ns pso 70 follow low the
example set by the democrats. and then
another and another republican congress
Endorsed this reform. until nearly two
thirds OF the states have recorded Ahen-
selves in It's favor. The United States
gantly obstructs the passage of the reso-
hutton, notwithstanding the fact that the
wheiming majority. demand IT,. And this
refusal is the more significant when 1t is
remembered that q number of senator's
%terests. Three democratic national plat
forms-the platforms Of 1900. 1904 and 1905
tuition which will put the election of sena-
tors In the hands Of the voters. and the
proposition has been Endorsed by a num-
Der of the smaller parties, but no re-
publican national convention has been
willing to champion the cause Of the
people on this subject. Nj subject was
vention in 1860: it was ignored in 1904. and
the proposition was explicitly repudiated
han 1893; for the The J regent ga4a r. republican Sss national
the plank tndoTsing the popular election
Of senators-and this was lone in the con-
vention which nominated Mr.. Taft. few
delegates from his own state voting for
the plank.
In his notification speech. the republican
SpcdhlI6 o1 llG eleCllOn ~ OF
senators by the people. says: PERSONALLY,
a party question, What is necesarsy to
democratic convention indorses a PROPOSE
ton by a unanimous vote, and the repub-
Lean convention rejects the proposition
by a vote of seven to one. does it not be-
come an.fssue between the parties? Mr..
Taft can not remove the question from
sonal inclination toward the democratic
position. For several years he has been
connected with the administration. What
Question aae 10 ei befo Ts'o th e1 p e9ns 70 W ST1nS t EMS
thusiasm has he shown in the reforma-
ton OF the Senate? What influence could
party has openly and VIGOROUSLY con-
demned In It's convention. and to which
ne is attached only by a belated express
sion OF personal inclination?
Gateway to Other Reforms.
h the people rule?' Every rene
dial measure of a national character
mus. run the gauntlet of the senate. The
: retorm; the House may l consent 'g to i;
but as long as the Senate obstructs the
reform. the people must.wait. The presi-
House may yield to public opinion: but
as long as the Senate is defiant. the rule
Of the people is defeated. tbs democratic
platform very properly describes the popu-
lar election of senators as 1.-THE gateway
to other national reforms" Shall we open
the gate, or Shall we allow the exploiting
Of this branch Of the federal legislature?
Through a democratic victory, and
the people secure the popular election of
senator's. The smaller parties are unable
to secure this reform; the republican par
tty, under Its present leadership, is reso-
lutely opposed to 1t; the democratic party
stands for 1T and has boldly demanded it.
II l am elected TO the presidency, those
who are elected upon the ticket with me
will be. like myself. pledged to this re-
form. and l shall convene congress in ex-
traordinary session immediat eIy after In.
augurat.on. and ask. among other things,
for the fu!filiment OF this platform pledge.
Democrats Earn Confidence. :
II the voters are satisfied vita the rec
ord of the republican party and with It's
reasonably ask for a change In admins
tratton; II, however. the voters feel that
the people. as a whole, have too little in
fluence in shaping the policie, Of the GOV
eminent il they feel that great combina-
tons of capital have encroached upon the
rights of the masses. and employed the
instrumentaHties of government to secure
an unfair share of the total wealth pro-
duced. then. we have a right to expect a.