The daily sentinel., 1908-08-12
ed expression of personal inclina-
The Gateway To Other Reforms.

=
remedial measure of national char
acter must run the gauntlet of the
senate. The president may personal
ly incline toward a reform; the house
may consent to it; but as long as the
senate obstructs the reform, the peo-
pie must wait. The president may
heed a popular demand; the house
may yield to public opinion but as
long as the senate is defiant, the
rule of the people is defeated. The
democratic platform very properly
describes the popular election of
senators as the gateway to other re-
FORMS Shall we open the gate, or
shall we allow the exploiting inter-
ests to bar the way by the control
of this branch of the federal legisla-
ture? Through a democratic victory,
and through a democratic victory
only, can the people secure the pop
ular election of senators. The small
er parties are unable to secure this
reform; the republican party, under
its present leadership. is resolutely
opposed to it; the democratic party
stands for it and has boldly demand
ed it. If | am elected to the presi-
dency, those who are elected upon
the ticket will be, like myself, pledg-
ed to this reform, and shall convene
congress in extraordinary session i'm
ne0luIelN after lnduSuTdllOH. ana
ask, among other things. for the full
fillment OF this platform pledge.
House Rules Despotic.
The third instrumentality en-
ployed TO defeat the will of the peo-
pie is founu in the rules of the house
of representatives. Our platform
points out that the house of repre-
sentatives was designed by the faith
ers of the constitution, to be the pop
ular branch of our government, re-
sponsive to the public will, and adds:
The house of representatives, as
controlled in recent years by the re-
publican party. has ceased to be
deliberative and legislative body, re-
| sponsive to the will of majority of
| the members, but has come under the
absolute domination of the speaker,
who has entire control of its deliber-
ations, and powers of legislation.
1--WE have observed with amaze
ment the popular branch of our fed
eral government helpless to obtain
either the consideration or enactment
its mem berS.
This arraignment is fully justified.
The reform republicans in the house
of representatives, when in the min
ority in their own party, are as help
less TO obtain a hearing or to secure
a vote upon measure as are the
democrats. In the recent session of
the present congress, there was a
considerable element in the republi-
can party favorable to remedial legis-
lation: but few leaders, in control
of the organization, despotically sup
! pressed these members, and thus
| forced real majority in the house
to submit TO a well organized min
ority. The republican national con-
vention, instead of rebuking this at
tack upon popular government, eulo-
giZed congress and nominated as the
republican candidate for vice presi-
dent one of the men who shared in
the responsibility for the coercion of
the house. Our party demands that
the house of representatives shall
again become a deliberative body,
controlled by majority of the peo-
pies representatives. and not by the
speaker. and is pledged to adopt
| such rules and regulations to gov
ern the house of representatives as
will enable a majority of its mem
bers to direct its deliberations and
control legislation
Shall the people rule?' They
can not do so unless they can control
the house of representatives, and
through their Representatives in the
house, give expression to their pur-
poses and their desires. The repub-
lican party is committed to the meth
DDS now in vogue in the house of rep
resentatives; the democratic party is
pledged to such a revision of the
rules as will bring the popular branch
of the federal government into har-
mony with the ideas of those who
framed our constitution and founded
our governm
Other Issues Will BE Discussed Later
Shall the people ruley' | re-
peat, is declared by our platform to
be the overshadowing question, and
as the campaign progresses, / shall
take occasion to discuss this ques-
tion as it manifests itself in other
issues; for whether we consider the
| tariff question, the trust question,
the railroad question, the banking
question, the labor question, the
question of Imperialism, the develop
ment of our waterways, or any other
of the numerous problems which
press for solution. we shall find that
the real question involved in each is,
whether the government shall remain
mere business asset of favor seek |
ing corporations or be an instrument
in the hands of the people for the |
advancement of the common veal.
Party Has Earned Confidence.
IF the voters are satisfied with |
the record of the republican party |
and with its management of public
affairs we can not reasonably ask for
a change in administration if, how
ever, the voters feel that the people,
as whole, have too little influence
in shaping the policies of the gov
ernment; il they feel that great com
binations of capital have encroached
upon the rights of the masses. and
employed the instrumentalities of
government to secure an unfair YER
dict against the republican partY and