Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-04

united SIateS SENATE Uooy "a 49,
trolling influence in national legisia-
ton. It has been In the past the most
powerful body Of men ever organized
in the parliaments Of the world: Wnlie
the great states Of New York ana
Pennsylvania have each over thirty
representatives in Congress, the Nttie
State of Maine has the same NUMBER
of senators as New York or Pennsyl-
vania or Texas or any other great
state Maine, in the United states
Senate, has voice, vote, influence ana
power, by and through her senators,
equal to that Of any other state IN the
| Union.
BY its very organization, the House
of Representatives has found 1t neces-
sary, by certain arbitrary rules. to
restrict and cut off debate, and to
force the small representation from
the New England States to yield to
the overwhelming numerical suprem-
acy Of the south and west. Names
four representatives can be easily dis
regarded and ignored by New Yorks
thirty -four. In the Senate, however,
there are no restrictions and limlta-
tons upon debate. The power anu
dignity and equality of senators Is al
most supreme. The President himself
| is subordinate to this great body;
while he is Commander in Chief Of the
army. the Senate must consent to war
before it can be declared. The Presi"
dent may make treaties, but they
must be finally approved by the Sen
ate; the President may make certain
high and important appointments to
| oGR h,,t ha QnnrOvad hE
the Senate. While the members of
the House must be constantly plan
ming for a reelection, and know that
every two years they must go before
the people, and very often trim their
political sails to catch the passing
breeze Of popularity, and change opln-
ions to meet the whims of their con-
stituents, a senator can pursue the
even tenor of his way and transact the
Pepole's business without the dread of
frequent nominations and elections.
The term Of senator is six years, and
| this gives him time to work out the
problems in which he is interested, to
vote and speak and act without the
| influence or fear Of the political re-
suits upon himself; ard so by the very
nature of things, the United States
Senate has grown to be absolutely the
more powerful branch of the congress
of the United States.
| In this republic there has always
been a constant struggle between the
politician and the people, in which the
| politician has attempted to wrest from
the people the sacred rights Of Re-
publican government, to deprive the
sovereign voter Of his authority and
power, and to place the government OF
the people, by the people and for the
people in the hands of a few, who.
through wealth and great corporate
influence, may control the Senate of
the United States, and make it tool
Of designing greed and power.
A few years ago, our people were
rudely awakened from their fancied
security by the fact that only men Of
wealth and powerful political influ-
ence could obtain a seat in the United
States Senate. The election laws were
such that limitless fortunes could be
spent in buying place and power in
this law making body. Within the
last three years, one United States
Senator bought the legislature Of a
great state Other senators admitted
in investigation that they had each
spent over one hundred thousand dol
lars in obtaining the coveted prize,
and yet they could rot be disturbed
because the money had been spent
through agents, over which the Senate
had no control.
The people stood aghast at these
revelations that showed how helpless
/ ha1, ;v, <I,n FOE 90 md
political organization. This rich and
arbitrary body, through it's disdain Of
the people, it's alliance with the lobby
and it's protection Of mighty corpor-
ate interests, threatened to disrupt
political parties, AMI was more or less
responsible for the existence of a
third party in this nation. And this
was not all, an investigation Of the
lobby disclosed the fact that many
senators Of both parties held their
seats by the grace and assistance Of
the great corporate interests Of banks.
railroads, manufactures, commerce
and predatory trusts; that they had
made themselves responsible to these
interests, rather than to the common
people. The great office of United
States Senator had ceased to be a
public trust and had descended to the
level of and the quest for private gain
and selfish and corrupt politics. In
vestigation also established the fur
Their fact that many members Of the
United States Senate, Of both politi-
cal parties, had obtained control OF
party caucuses and legislative nomi-
nations and elections. and through
control of legislatures and by the ex-
penditure Of large sums Of money and
the employment Of political agents
and retainers, had secured place and
power at the expense Of the people
and Of good government. The people
revolted and demanded by general
uprising throughout the nation that
the Constitution Of the United States
should be amended. whereby United
States Senators must be elected by
direct vote Of the people. and nomi-
mated at a Primary election, where
all the voters could make their choice
among the candidates. The people
believed that such a law would pre-
vent the use Of money in nominations
and elections, would secure In the
United States Senate the men best
qualified for that office, and would
restore again the government Of the