Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-21
FAV0RS DIRECT VOTE
Mr.. Borah Urges New System
of EIecting Senators.
SCORES PRESENT METHOD
Declares It Leads to Corruption of
State Legislatures.
USES LORIMER CASE AS TEXT
Says Members Of Illinois Legislature
Battered Honor and Whole Body
Became Demoralized.
SCORES PRESENT METHOD
USES LORIMER CASE AS TEXT

To prevent the corruption of state leg
| islatures. to allow them to give theil
time exclusively to the consideration OF
state matters and to carry out the wishes
Of the founders Of this republic that the
people should rule, Senator Borah in the
Senate yesterday urged that the Con-
election of United States senator's by d.
rect vote of the people.
He cited the case of William Lorimer
and the Illinois legislature. where men
bartered their honor" as an example Of
the operations Of the present system OF
electing senator's, and pointed to other
instances Of senatorial elections which he
termed "a disgrace" and "of itself suf-
ficient condemnation of the present sys-
tenn"
And near the conclusion Of his argu-
ment he quoted member Of the Senate
"a veteran in unselfish devotion to his
country" as saying, after he had heard a
discussion of the Lorimer election:
Il have begun to despair Of the re-
public"
Present System Scored.
And. concluding he flung out this
singing condemnation OF the present
system:
THE legislature is the arena, narrow
and confined. wherein selfish and cor
rupt influences can successfully operate.
The members are few. The chance for
combination and approach is always at
hand. Why keep that arena? Why give
selfish and corrupt influences such Stra-
tegic advantage? Why not send the
fight to the open forum, upon which beats
10 oh nf r,,,11f TIL
not leave it where it will be settled upon
merit, where candidates may appeal TO
the honor and patriotism of the masses
and not be compelled to fight the COM
binations and trickery of a caucus; where
the candidates must Also take the people
into their confidence before election GER
tifcate is issued? Why compel men to
pass through the season of humiliation
and shame through which the sitting
member Of Illinois is passing if lie is
guiltless? Why make it possible for him
to come here if guilty? 1t is a system
vicious and out-of-date, prepared for a
different age and under different condi-
tons than that in which We live The
times demand different system, dit
ferent mechanism fer selecting the men,
bers Of this great body"
Conditions of stagnation of state legis-
lative business and of corruption AFFECT
ing not only the choice OF senator but
bills Of vital Importance to the state.
evils of the present system"
Cites Cases of Deadlock.
1.-THE entire session of the legislature
was occupied in the electing of a senator
to the exclusion of everything else. when
they were called together he explained.
I'm some instances special sessions were
called at great expense. In some four
teen instances states have gone without
full representation here because of dead
locks in the legislature. In other instances
bribery and corruption have been charged
and corruption and scandal have attached
to the session.
"It is not alone that direct and open
bribery sometimes prevails, but that which
is equally as bad more often prevails
bills and measures are traded upon or
killed, the public interest is sacrificed or
actually bartered away, patronage and
office enter into the deal and the whole
affair becomes a disgrace and is of itself
sufficieiit condemnation of the present sys-
tenn.
"A brief reference to some of the in
stances will not be uninstructive. Thus
in Pennsylvania in 1880. In order to pre-
vent the breaking OF the deadlock the
democrats and independents Joined to pre-
vent a quorum. and for twenty-eight days
they made it impossible to do business
Of any kind. In Maryland In 1904 upon
roll call one senator and six members of
the house answered to their names The
chairman of the joint assembly then or
dered the sergeant-at-arms to bring in
the absantees. whom he reported he could
not find, whereupon the joint assembly
adjourned for lack of a quorum. In Mis-
souri, in 1905 the. election took place in the
midst of riot.
I'm order to prevent the arrival OF the
hour Of adjournment before an election
could he secured an attempt was made TO