Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-08-20


able minimum.
The democratic national COMMITTEES
Immediately proceeded 10 interpret
and apply this plank, announcing that
no contributions would be received
from corporations, that no individual
would be allowed to contribute more
than $4,000, and that all contributions
above 800 would be made public be-
fore the election-those received be-
fore October Is to be made public on
or before that day, those received af-
terward to be made public on the day
when received, and no such contribu-
lions to be accepted within three days
of the election. The expenditures are
to be published after the election
Here is a plan which is complete ana
effective.
Popular Election Of Senators.
Next to the corrupt use of money,
the present method of electing United
States senators is most responsible foc
the obstruction Of reforms. For one
hundred years after the adoption of
the constitution, the demand for the
popular election of senator's, while
finding increased expression, did moi
become a dominant sentiment. A con-
stitutional amendment had from time
to time been suggested and the MAJ
ter had been more or less discussed
in few of the states, but the move
ment had not reached a point where
it manifested itself through congress
sionaI action. In the Fifty-second con-
ported from a house committee propOs-
ing the necessary constitutional amend
ment, and this resolution passed the
house of representatives by vote
which was practically unanimous. n
the fifty-third congress similar reso-
luton was reported to, and adopted
by, the house of representatives.
Both the fifty-second and fifty-third
congresses We're democratic. The re-
publicans gained control Of the house
in the fifty-fourth congress the prop
Osition died in a committee. AS time
went on, however, the sentiment grew
among the people, until it forced re
publican congress to follow the exam
pie set by the democrats, and then
another and another republican con-
gress acted favorably. State aftei
state has endorsed this reform, until
nearly two-thirds of the states have
recorded themselves in IT'S favor. The
United States senate, however, impu-
IDENTIFY and arrogantly Obstructs the
passage of the resolution, nOtwlth.
standing the fact that the voters CT
the United States, by an Overwhelming
majority, demand it. And this refusal
is the more significant when it is re-
membered mat a number of senators
owe their election to great corporate
interests. Three democratic national
piatforms-the platforms of 1900, 1904
and 1908-specificalIy call for change
II the constitution which will put the
election of senators in the hands OF
voters, and the proposition has been
endorsed by a number of the smaller
parties, but no republican national con,
vention has been willing to champion
the cause of the people on this subject.
The subject was ignored by the repub-
Iican national convention in 1900; 1t
was ignored in 1904, and the PROPOSE
ton was explicitly repudiated in 1908,
for the recent republican national con
vention, by a vote of S66 to ia, re-
jected the plank endorsing the popu'
lar election OF senators-and this was
done in the convention which nomin
ated Mr. Taft, few delegates from his
own state voting for the plank.
Personal inclination Not Sufficient.
In his notification speech, the re-
pub ican candidate, speaking Of the
election of senators by the people,
says:
:" Personally, l am inclined to favor
it, but it is hardly a party question
What is necessary to make this a
party question? When the democratic
convention endorses a proposition by
a unanimous vote, and the republican
convention rejects the proposition by
a vote of seven to one, does it not be
come an issue between the parties?
Mr.. Taft can not remove the question
from the arena of politics by eX-
pressing a 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 public? What enthusiasm
has he shown in the reformation OF
the senate? What influence could he
exert in behalf of reform winch his
party has openly and VIGOROUSLY con
demned in its convention, and to which
he is attached only by belated ex-
preston of personal inclination?
House Rules Despotic.
The third fundamentally employed
to defeat the will of the people is found
in the rules of the house of representa-
tives. Our platform points out that
the house of representatives was
designed by the fathers of the constr
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 a de-
Lucrative and legislative body, respon-
sive TO the will of a majority Of the
members, but has come under the abb