Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-31
FAVORS DIRECT VOTE
Senator Owen Urges Popular
Election of Legislators.
WOULD CHECK CORRUPTION
Declares Alliance Between CONNER
cial Interests and Machine Poll
tics Country's Greatest Evil.

| 1T will be better for this country"
said Senator Owen of Oklahoma today,
| when senator's and members Of Congress
and state legislators and municipal legis-
lators are chosen by the direct vote Of the
| people, and when the people have the
right of recall by the nomination OF
successor to their public servants. The
people will never abuse their power.
! The senator was spea king in the Senate
| in favor of a resolution introduced by
him, in accordance with the wishes of
| the legislature of the state Of Oklahoma
providing for the submission Of a consti-
tutional amendment for the election of
| senators by direct vote of the people.
| Such an amendment, he said, would
prevent the corruption of the legislatures,
would prevent the improper use Of money
| in the campaigns by men ambitious to
obtain seat In the Senate, and would
compel candidates for the Senate to be
| subjected to the severe scrutiny of
campaign before the people and compel
the selection OF the best fitted men.
Further. he said, it would popularize
| government and tend to increase the
confidence of the people in the Senate,
(which has been to some extent impaired
in recent years. II also would prevent
deadlocks, he continued, due to political
time to time had been left unrepresented.
Demand Is Widespread.
Il cannot believe said Senator Owen,
that the Senate is conscious of the wide
spread public demand for the election of
| senator's by direct vote of the people.
| therefore submit evidence of action taken
by the various states, showing that
thirty-six of them have expressed them
selves, in one form or another, favorably
to the election of senators by direct vote
of the people.
II believe" he declared, that the will
of the people is far more nearly right
in the main than the will of any individ-
ual statesman who is apt to be honored
by them with seat in the Senate: that
the whole people are more apt to be safe
est than single individual. At all events
feel not only willing, but l really desire
| to make effective the will of the people
of my state.
Democratic and republican states alike.
west of the Hudson river, have acted
favorably in this matter almost with
out exception. Only eight or nine
states have failed to act. and l do
not doubt that if the voice of the
people Of these states of New England,
of New York Maryland and Delaware
could find convenient expression. free
from machine politics. every one of them
would favor the election OF senator's by
direct vote and would favor the right of
the people to instruct their representa-
tives in Congress and the Senate.
States Have Acted.
Not only have the states acted almost
unanimously i'll favor of this right of the
| people. but all the great parties of the
country, except the republican party.
have done SO. and that party would have
declared for it except for the over
whelming influence and domination Of
| machine politics in it's management and
the prevalence of so-called boss fnfiu-
ence.''
Senator Owen maintained that 1.-The
great evil from which the American peo-
pie have suffered in recent years has
been the secret but we'll known alliance
between commercial interests and ma
chine politics, by which commercial in
terests have endeavored and often sue
coded In obtaining legislation giving them
special advantages in nation, states and
municipalities and obtained administra-
tive and judicial immunity so that the
laws have not been properly enforced
against them
Il have no desire he continued. "to
seek partisan advantage by pointing out
the weaknesses OF government under
present methods. 1t will require the most
vigorous efforts of the honest men of
both parties to restore the government
to condition of integrity, where high
purposes. honor and the common good
exclusively shall rule.