The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-08-14

800 -
contributions to be accepted within
three days Of the election. The ex
penditures r to be published after
the election. Here Is g plan which Is
complete and effective.
Popular Election Of Senators.
Next to the corrupt use Of money,
the present method Of electing United
States senator's is most responsible
for the obstruction Of retorms. For
one hundred years after the adoption
Of the constitution. the demand for
the popular election OF senator's.
while finding increased expression,
did not become q dominant sentt-
ment. "A constitutional amendment
had from time to time been suggested
and the matter had been o or less
discussed in a few OF the states, but
the movement had not reached q point
where 1t manifested itself through con-
gressional action. In the t~ltty-second
congress-, however. q resolution was
adopted from a house committee pro-
posing the necessary constitutional
amendment, and this resolution pass
ed the house Of representative by q
vote which raj practically unani-
nous. In the Fifty-third congress q
similar resolution was reported to,
and adopted by. the house Of repre-
sentatlves.
The United States senate, however,
i~mpudently and arrogantly o~Dstructs
the passage Of the resolution. notwith-
standing the fact that the voters OF
the United States. by an overwhelm-
ing majority, demand 1t. And this re-
fusai IL the more significant when It
10 remembered that q number OF sen
ators owe their election to great cor
porate interests.
Personal inclination Not saffolsnt.
In his notification speech, the Re-
publican candidate. speaking Of tho
election Of senators BY the people.
says: Personally. l am inclined to.
favor II, but It 10 hardly . party ques.
ton" What 10 necessary to make
this . party question: When the
Democratic convention endorses .
by q unanimous vote. and
the Republican convention rejects the
proposition by q vote Of seven to one.
does it not become IN issue between
the parties? MI. Taft can not emove
the question from the arena Of poll
tics by expressing . personal inclina-
ton toward the Democratic position.
The Gateway to Other Reforms.
"shall the people rule?" Every e
medal measure Of a material charac-
ter must run the gauntlet OF the sen
ate. The president may personally
incline toward . reform; the house
may consent to It; but a. long Us the
senate obstructs the reform, the oeo-
pie must wait. The president may
heed a popular demand: the house
may yield to public opinion; hut ~
long as the senate is defiant. the rule
OF the people is defeated. The Dem
.pcratc platform very properly de-
scribes the popular election Of sena
tors IS "the gateway to other national
reforms Shall we open the gate. or
shall we allow the other exploiting in-
terests to bar the way by the control.
Of this branch Of the federal legislar
ture7 Through q Democratic victory.
and through a Democratic victory
only. can the people secure the pop
ular election Of senators.
House Rule. Despotle.
The third fundamentally employed
to defeat the will Of the people Is
found In the rules Of the house Of
representatives. Our platform points
out that the house OF Representatives
vas designed by tho fathers Of tho
constitution. to be the popular branch