Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-28

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S:-A SEN
ate selected by a method wholly
antagonistic to the devious ways o.
ordinary politics. A senate composed
of men whose primary qualihcation
for the honor is a record service to
the public and achievements reject
ing honor upon the nation. A sem
ale through whose portals it will be
more difficult for a politician to pass
than for the proverbial camel TO
pass through the needles eye.
Has there ever been such a sem
ate? Will there ever be? Or. Is IL
merly a dream of idealistic expert
mentalists in governmental afa1rs?
The answer tt the first question
Is, No. The answer to the second
question is, Yes perhaps. To the
third the reply must be made that
obviously it is a dream of ideal1sts,
but it must be added that it is far
more tangible than most a for
it is about to be tried out.
The senate of the Irish Free State
is to be this unique legislative body.
if peace to the Emerald Isle
and the Irish have an opportunity
to work out their W political des-
TIMES under the new constitution or
the Free State. Needless to say the
eADCIlIlltlll Will NC WoISA1N0 "'NAh e
closest interest throughout the
world, and particularly from this
side of the Atlantic.
The Irish senate, the constitution
provides, is to be composed OF Two
| members representative Of each &C"
| credited Irish university and of
fifty-six members representative at
large of men of attainments in Ire.
land. The senators will De elected
by popular vote, but the candidates
from among whom the people VIII
| make their choice will be nominal
ed in a most unusual fashion. Three
times as many candidates as there
| are senator's to be elected will have
| their names on the ballot. OF these
nominees two-thirds will be selected
by the Irish Chamber Of Deputies.
a body corresponding to the lower
house of congress in this country,
and the other third will be nomi-
| mated by the senate itself.
The term of Office of g. senator IS
fixed at twelve years. twice that O.
a United States senator. One-fourth
of the membership of the Irish SEN
| ate is 70 be elected every -four years.
whereas in this country one-third
of the senators are chosen every two
years.
Qualifications of Candidates
But it is in its provisions as to the
qualifications of the candidates FOL
the senate that the Free State con-
stitution is of especial interest. IT
stipuIates that before a man can be
made a candidate he must have
done honor to the nation by reason
of useful public service" or he
must, because of special qualifca-
tions or a~ttainments, represent
important aspects of the nations
life"
Under such limitations 1t is con
ceiyabie that a politician might gel
into the Irish senate, but it woult
not be by playing the game of poll,
tics, or being q politician. He would
have to have a record OF achieve
ments in other fields more likely. II
commend him to the consideration
OF the public. Manifestly, too, thu
senatorial candidates would W NJ
allegiance to parties, nor could thet
nominations be dictated or CONTROL
ed by party bosses or special inter
ests.
Men who attain to seats in tn
Irish upper house may be represen
tative of almost every line of human
endeavor-art, science, Literature
industry, finance, education, medi
cine, the ministry, the law. and wha
not. They may be poets, soldiers
engineers, priests, painters, public
lists, farmers, professors. labor lead
ers, captains of industry, doctors
, lawyers, merchants, chiefs" but
Is a fair gamble that the p~ercentag
of the men of the law will not be S
high as it is in the personnel Q
: national legislators in these Unite
States.
: Men will not seek the senatori:
toga in ireland for the sake of tn
office and the power it symbolic
> They will strive for pre-eminenc
in their chosen fields of endeavor ]
= the hope that the toga will be cor
ferred upon them as a recognitio
: of merit, carrying with it an oppol
tunity for further and greater ser
: vice to the people. They will ents
=. the senate, not to make their CT
5 reers, but to round them out. The
will not be great men because the
are senator's; they will be senator
{ because they are great men.
Tt would be interesting to rea
+ the biographies of such senator
and then follow the record of IL
proceedings Of such a senate!
Experiment. Might be Tried Her
IT. n tntsrsstinG also. to speeuls