Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-05-31
OWEN PLEADS FOR :.
: DIRECT ELECTIONS
bENAroR FROM OKLAHOMA SAYS
PEOPLE WANT TO SELECT
REPRESENTATIVES
POPULAR VOTE WOULD
TEND TO HONEST LAWS
says Relations Between Law Making
Body of Upper House and Selfish
Corporate Interests Arc Too Close
Not a Question Of Partisan PoIi-
tics.

washington, May Sit will be
better for this country said Senator
Owen, of Oklahoma, today, when SEN
ators and members of congress and
state legislators and municipal legisla-
tors are chosen by the direct vote or
the people and when the people have
the right Of recall by the nomination
of a successor to their public servants.
The people will never abuse their
power" The senator was speaking in
the senate in favor Of a resolution in
troduced by him, in accordance with
the wishes of the legislature of the
state Of Oklahoma, providing for the
submission of a constitutional amend
ment for the election of senator's by
direct vote of the people.
Such an amendment, he said, would
prevent the corruption OF legislatures
would prevent the improper use of
money in the campaigns by men am
bilious to obtain a seat in the senate
and. would compel candidates for the
senate to be subjected to the severe
scrutiny of a campaign before the peo-
pie and compel the selection of the
best-ftted 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" 1t
would also prevent deadlocks, he con-
tinued, due to political contests in
which various states from time to time
had been left unrepresented.
Plan in Popular Demand.
Il can not believe" said Senator
hot fhn sc o3o of
the widespread public demand for the
election Of senators by direct vote of
the people. I therefore submit evil
dence of action taken by the various
states, showing that thirty-six of them
have expressed themselves, in one
form or another, favorably to the cleo
ton Of senators by direct vote Of the
people.
81 believe" he declared, "that the
will of the people is far NOPE nearly
right in the main than the will of any
individual statesman who is apt to be
honored by them with a seat in the
senate; that the whole people are more
apt to be safe and sane, more apt to be
sound and honest than single indi-
vidpa1. / At. all events IefeelS not only
willing but really desire to make ef-
fective the will of the people Of my
state"
Blow at Machine Politics.
Senator Owen maintained that "the
great evil from which the American
people have suffered in recent years
has been the secret but well-known
alliance between commercial interests
and machine politics, by which COM
mercia1 interests have endeavored and
often succeeded in obtaining legislation
giving them special advantages in ma
Aion, states and municipalities, and OBJ
tained administrative and judicial inn
nuntty so that the laws have not been
properly enforced against them.
II have no desire he continued, "to
seei partisan advantage by pointing
-,rt the weaknesses of government I'M
present methods. 1t will require
!. most vigorous efforts Of the honest
of both parties to restore the gov
Iraent to condition of integrity,
&c high purposes, honor and the
3non good exclusively shall rule"