Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-01-03
Smith or MARITIME.

smith or MARITIME.
To tho nditor Of the Dvening Star:
Possibly these views of one who was
for some years a Newarker and well
acquainted with the executive force
and courage of ex-senator Smith and
of his personal magnetism and friendly
loyalty may be worth some attention.
1 write as one who left tho Demo
cratic party when Mr.. Bryan in 1895
threw away tho doctrines which had
made that party great.
Every State is watching the conflict
between Mr. Smith and Mr.. MARITIME,
for 1t is a contest really between the
established practise of 1913 "a under
which senators were chosen by the
legislatures and the new-fangled notion
of choosing them by direct popular
vote, just as are chosen b OF
the House of Representatives. That 10,
it Is an effort to convert the Senate
from a body chosen by the State as a
State to a body chosen by popular vote.
I do not know Mr.. Smiths attitude on
this question, but 1 do o believe that
he or any Democrat Is bound by party
rule to stand for the grave change pro-
posed. 1t is true that the national plat
form of the Democratic party for 1908
did contain such a plank.
But national platforms control only
in the particular election for which
they are astutely c~ontrived, leaving
Democrats at liberty to build new plat
forms for subsequent elections.
I do not believe hat such a plank
will be adopted by his party in 1912,
for before that date there will be such
a campaign of education that Demo-
Gratis will recognize 1t to be another
folly of Mr.. Bryan, due to his desire to
placate extreme Populists, and will
stand by the method OF choosing SEN
ators devised by the fathers in 1887.
They, in their high wisdom, tried to
make the Senate as different from tho
House as possible; they required great
er years and experience, longer tenure.
and that each State. regardless of its
population, should have two senator's
and two only. They were to represent
the State as a State and not to repre-
SEN local constituents. as do the House
members. To this end they ordained
that senators should be chosen by the
legislatures.
This provision is the chief provision
in the Constitution in recognition of
statehood as distinguished from per
sons and their individuality.
As now chosen, the United States
Senate is not a house Of lords or
house of representatives, but the
house OF States. If both chambers
were chosen by direct popular vote we
would have no true Senate. but would
have two houses Of representatives,
large one of nearly 400 members and a
small one of ninety, and the smaller
would to be a check and counter
poise and be but a faint echo of the
larger body.
This may not appeal either to MT.
Smith or to hidebound Democrats, but
1t Will appeal to many Democrats I
know; It also appeals to New Jersey
Republicans, some of whom in joint
Assembly will rather vote for the force
full. magnetic and experienced ex-sen-
ator than for his competitor.
But. sven aside from these objections
of a Constitution-lover and student, Mr..
MARITIME can show no just reason why
the legislators should be compelled.
will We. Mill yc." to vote for him.
His ingenuity in securing q 20 per
cent. vote Of Democrats, saying that
they would like the legislators to choose