Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-10-07
TOWNSEND 5 SPEECH.
Confined from page one

tion may serve sDecial interests. and
is more likely 10 occur under the old
system of selecting senators by state
Legislators where campaign expenses
and sometimes more are paid nv the
candidates for the senate, or bv their
interested friends. The notion of the
the fathers was that the senator's would
represent the state ana not the people.
The provision however for election bv
! the legislature was "A necessary compro-
mise at the time. | confess | have
never been able 10 distinguish between
the state and the people In re-
public. the former is but an organiZa-
tion of the latter. ard the true re-
preventative one is the natural servant
of the Other II all men and interests
were honest and patriotic. instead of
some being unlawfully great and cor
rupt il would make little difference
whether the senator was elected by
legislature or by the people; but IL
some are undulv powerful and see tit
to exercise that power. the method of
elecing senators without the advice of
the people affords an opportunity for
obtaining special privileges either by
the enforcement of favoring laws or bv
defeating all attempts by legislation to
correct existing bad laws. The consti-
tuent of the public official is the man
A, L oil Sh. 10
or majority of them are the consti-
tuents. the people are served. This
implies active participation In the 50.
lection of all elective public officers by
the voters
The electors on the first Tuesday
after the first Monday in September.
1910. will under the statue. have an
opportunity to express their choice
for United States senator TO be for
malv elected bv the legislature in the
following January. The vote will
be advisory, but until the constitution
is amended, all that the people can do
is to advise. but that will be sufficient.
No legislator Will. it seems 10 me
ignore the people expressed will. As
for myself, if another than | shall
secure a plurality Of the nonulaT votes
I shall insist that be receive tho unani-
nous support of the party in the legis'
iature. and l hope l shall be accorded
the same treatment if ] receive
plurality 90 not care TO be senator
unless 1 am the choice of the people
This matter which now rests with
the ,orers trust there will not be
chat neglect and indifference on thei:
part which would furnish an excuse
for any legislator TO say that the ueo-
pls had not spoken and therefore no
obligation was imposed.
Daring the last few wears have
been deeply impressed by the fact that
a new order of things was maintaining
in this country. Equal rights and
opportunities for all has in times past
been beautiful campaign motto. but
OF always has it had a place in the
minds of legislators, vet gradually
il has come to be generally recognized
as the very basic principle OF re-
public. and his reorganization has not
been brought about so much by the
legislator himself as i, has bv the peo-
pie. More and more they have come
to know what belongs to them and to
make demands for their own. 1t is
because of my faith in an intelligent
public sentiment that look hopefully
into the future and see enduring
general prosperity and happiness
The stand patter" Who occupies an
absolutely right position is warrant
ed in standing but if he Is wrong. ir-
remedial injury may be inflicted. and
besides to stand still means the as
sumption that the highest good has
been accomplished. that all problems
have been solved. that no further pro-
gress is desirable or possible. whereas
every thoughtful man knows that
republic cannot stand still but must
either retrograde or progress. and
PROCESSION means meeting and solving
problems. The man who refuses to
grapple with the new duties which
develope upon each new generation IL
as dangerous as the demagogue. who
would coniure imaginary evils with
which to DECEIVE the people.
The hest representative in either
house is the one who. even amidst the
glittering allurments of special interest
at the nationl capital still remembers
the folks at home and relaizes that his
business is to ser:e them. The people
should understand that indifference
on their part will breed indifference
in their representatives.
would like to discuss some of the
great problems which are now pressing
upon the congress for solution. hut
some of them will be attempted before