New-York tribune., 1911-02-24
FLATTERfNG THE PEOPLE
Writer Sees a Menace in the Dii0o'
Election Of U. S. Senators.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The editorial articles and coih'''
which have appeared during recent
IN your journal on the direct elec'o"
United States Senator'S the initlahN''
referendum and the recall indicate I" ~"
that YOU do not share in the current clai'I''
for these Innovations The movement io'
them is widespread ir the West, ana u
gaining ground I'm the Eastern states. IL
appeals to the vanity of the population u"
that IT fatters the peoplo" to thlnN nv
will obtain extended political rights ana d
direct control over so much IN the 'eH''
lative line Politicians statesmen theS ''e
surely noO find the advocacy pf these p'o-
posals an avenue through winch I" ga"
favor and prominence, hence they feed 'n'
popular inclination. much of which is more
matter of fashion and acquiescence tnah
of conviction or real understanding
The doctrine upon which these proposals
are founded is fundamentals fallaclouS'
there is in il potent danger to the per
petuation of our form &c government az
IL was conceived by the trainers OF the
Constitution As a sine qtl non govern
ment by the people must rest upon hrm
reasonable. safe and practic1. guide. our
Constitution embodies such plan. ono ot 2
very high order of merit, proven in many
emergencies.
The powerful speech Of Senator Root ol
New York, on the direct election Of United
States Senators recently delivered SOUNDS
At last a bugle call to second, sober thought
on these questions. Such utterances RS
those of Senator Beveridge IN his reply "a
Mr.. Roots speech cannot De allowed to 20
over the land unqualified and unchallenged
much longer. Senator Beveridge said ~
effect: THE Constitution wSs made for the
people and by the people. The Senate Is
tho servant of the people. and should not
stand in the way Of a change of the Con
stitution when the people want it changed
True i'm the abstract. but who are THE
people" who and what were they originally
meant and conceived to he? Was not the
Senate rather instituted as the guide oi
the people than AS their voice, as thf
brake of the governmental machine tf
guard against unreasoning clamor and Nit
ting political emotions and yagaries? The
| people were never meant and conceived II
be the non plus ultra of our government
especially not "the people ss we have
them to-day I'm this country a heterosen
eous mass Of natives and of foreigners from
all climes. the large percentage Of imm
grants. ignorant and only slowly assimil
| able. the lower strata Of our native popula
tion deteriorated morally and politically by
| the life in the great cities ard the conditions
surrounding work in the factories anc
mines slaves of their bread-and- -butte
necessities and converts to distorted notions
Of property and civil rights and duties
| Must We AT the capricious behest Of a peo
pie thus diminished in political capacity
and responsibility surrender the differenc
| I'm political character wisely established be
tween the United States Senate and th'
House Of Representatives?
No sir. We must not We must on thu
contrary set about 10 reform that which i
a fault in our institutions in their latte
| day aspect and development-the electorate
! The day of franchise reform is dawning
an active national agitation OF this question
has become an urgent necessity, it ha
| begun to occupy the minds Of the thought
| ful. It includes the regulation of immi
| grafton, the restriction Of alien citizenship
! higher qualifications for native citizenship
and an improvement of our political life b!
a higher class of citizen and public officer
| all working together upon ;ho old basis o
our trusty constitution.
J. ANTHONY STARKE.
New York, Feb. %, lau