The citizen., 1911-04-14
SENATOR MARTIN AS LEADER
OF THE DEMOCRATS IN THE
UNITED STATES SENATE.

On Friday last, the Democratic Sen
ators elected Senator Martin 10 lead
in the present Congress.
Senator Martin is a Senator from the
State Of Virginia and is serving his third
term in the Senate
The leader Of the Democrats in the
United States Senate is always a most
important position, but at this time it is
aposition of the very highest character.
The position at this time is more i'm
portant than it has ever been since the
Civil War. Only once since the Civil
War has the importance of the leader
in the Senate at all compared to the
present session, and that was during the
second term of Mr.. Cleveland when the
Democrats selected Senator Jones, Of
Arkansas, to lead.
Senator Jones was a clever and agree
able man. and Senator Martin is a very
clever, and genial gentleman.
Senator Jones was elected without
contest, but there was contest to elect
Senator Martin, in which Senator Mar
tin received twenty one votes, and SEN
ator Shively, Of Indiana. received seven
teen votes
The Democratic party is face to face
with very much the same conditions
that they faced in 1898.
The main difference is that in 1898 a
splendid Democrat was President and
both houses were Democratic BY the
election of 1902 the Democrats had
swept the country from one end of it to
the other and a long lease of power to
administer the government was possible
and most probable
They had in both the House Of Rep
resenttiyes and in the Senate many
able and honest Democrats, but they
had in the Senate four traitors who were
in favor OF the special interests and the
protective tariff Now again. the Dem
ocrats, by virtue Of a victory gained last
f fall are in control Of the House Of Rep
+ resentatives and strong party in the
Senate and the possibility and the
great probability of controlling the coun-
try for a long period. Whether the
Democrats elect the next President and
control the country for years to come,
depends alone upon the conduct Of the
Democrats in the House Of Represent
atives and the Senate
The Congress that is now in session
have it in their power to administer this
government for years, if they do right.
To do right only means that Congress
shall be Democratic. That is, administer
this government on Democratic prin-
ciples. The only thing that they are
expected TO do at this session of Con-
gress, or that is absolutely necessary to
do at this session, is to pass the treaty
with Canada and reduce the tax on
cotton and wooden clothing Of the people.
control The food stuls and put lumber
on the free list.
This they must do as an evidence Of
what the people may expect if they
elect a Democratic President in 1912. If
the Democratic party enacts the above
measures, there is but little doubt about
their success in 1912.
If they fail TO pass them there is but
very little hope Of the election Of a Dem
ocrat President in 1912, or for many
years to come.
Let them be warned by the experience
of 1893 Let them read that lesson over
and over. They he'd Senator Jones as
a leader in the Senate in 1898, and Sen
ator Jones under the influence of the
Havemyer syndicate, brought into the
Senate over six hundred amendments
to the Wilson Tariff Bill as it passed
the House of Representatives, and all of
those six hundred amendments were for
a high protective tariff and were adopted,
and the bill became the Gorman-Wilson
Bill, which Mr.. Cleveland denounced in
the foIlowinglwords "The livery of Dem
ocratic reform has been stolen and worn
in the service of Republican protection,
and the friends of tariff revision have
marked the places where the deadly
blight of treason has blasted the counsels
Of the brave in their hour of might"
Senator Martin was in the Senate in
1898, and we believe voted for the six
hundred amendments.
Suffice it is to say that those six hun
dred amendments and that act Of treason
to the Democratic principles doomed
the Democratic party to disgraceful