Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-27
ABOLISH THE SENATE
Purpose of Resolution Intro
duced by Mr.. Berger.
CALLED USELESS RELIC"
Points to British Example in Fight
Against House of Lords.
Is NOT TRUE SAFETY VALVE
Would Trust to Conservatism Of the
People Exercised Through the
Referendum.
IS NOT TRUE SAFETY VALVE

THE United States Senate has run its
course and must some day, as with the
British house of lords. yield to the pop
ular demand for its reformation or aboli-
tion,'' said Representative Victor Berger
of Milwaukee, the socialist. as he drop
ped into the hopper of the House, his
resolution proposing that the Senate be
wiped off the map. Mr.. Berger announced
when he first came to Congress that he
intended to put the Senate out of business
If it could be done, but he didn't take
the initial step until today.
when the Constitution was framed"
Mr.. Berger continued, in explanation OF
his proposition, 1.-The separation into
two houses was accepted upon the prece-
dent of the British parliament and on no
valid ground whatever. OF the original
states. two had but one legislative
chamber each, and the confederation OF
ITO had no more.
'When the proposition was made to di-
vide the Congress into two branches three
sta tes-the great state OF New YORK
among them-recorded their votes against
it. and the delegation of another-Mary
lan-was equally divided on the subject.
There seems, however, to have been very
little discussion on the matter, which was
quite overshadowed by the Incompatible
agency of the only questionable relative
power Of the states and the general gov
ernment-which really was discussed in
the convention.
Relic of Feudalism.
lit is a notable fact that while the MAX
ers of the Constitution were taking up
this relic of European feudalsm and
clothing 1t with formidable power the
English nation was already preparing the
forces which were to reduce the house Of
lords to the secondary position 1t now oc-
cupies. If the bill Of the liberal govern
ment becomes a law the house of lords
will practically be abolished.
1T is sometimes said that the Senate
might be beneficial as a check against
sudden upheavais or ill-considered
changes. especially in a political or eco
nomic crisis. But such occasions are just
the times when the resistance of such a
body is practically nil. An upper house
which during a revolutionary period
should resolutely oppose itself to the
branch Of the legislature more directly
representing the excited state of popular
And SO it is the destiny of an upper
house to become imperative in the very
cases in which it's effective operation
would have the best chance of producing
less harm than good.
Mass Of the People Conservative.
ION the other hand, there is nothing so
people. We cannot change by legislative
act or acts the habits and mode Of think
ing produced by generations. The great
est force in existence in the cOsmic world.
as in the history Of nations. Is the force
Of inertia. This force, which holds the
sary revolutions If a counter force isl
necessary 1t should be rather of motion
All that Is necessary to give expression to
this most terrific counter-revolutionary
masses the widest chance to speak their
will Give the people the full referendum
and God knows progress will be slow
enough.
Power in the Referendum. /
"The referendum is in reality the most
conservative political power in existence.
as the example Of Switzerland, where
1t has been in use for many years. The
referendum is infinitely stronger than all
the senates in the world, because no
democratic power is great enough to re-
sist it, and yet no progressive measure,
no reform, is safe until it has been &C
copied by the majority of the people,"
The Berger resolution proposes an
amendment to the Constitution vesting
all legislative power IN the House OF
which, subject to referendum, shall be
the supreme law. The President shall
have no power to veto nor any court to
inyalidate Following is the section in
the Berger resolution proposing the gen.
eral referendum:
Upon petition of per cent OF the
qualified voters for members of the lower
houses of the state legislatures in each
of the three-fourths of the states, filed
within ninety days after the passage on
a law by the House Of Representatives,,
such law shall be submitted to a general
referendum; and if such law receives q
majority of all votes cast at such ref
erendum 1t shall be in effect. but if it
fails of majority it shall be null and
void