The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-08-11
Ans,oer to Today's Problem
Ciren in 1920

And right there, I believe, is the
CUTS of the present day problem.
Mr.. Marshall had held many cleo
tive offices and the speech from
which I quoted the above passage
was made while he was vice presi-
dent of the United States. He was
an observer and student of poll
tics. He saw in 1920 where we, as
a people, were going and I have no
doubt that he could have predicted
exactly the set of circumstances we
are meeting now.
When Senator Norris of Nebraska,
once Republican, then a Demo-
crat, and now labeled as something
else, drove the constitutional amend
ment through congress and cleared
the way for direct election of Unit
ed States senators, he accomplished
two things. ID He made it posi-
BILE for the purest type of dema-
gogue to win elections by his ability
to promise" more than the opposi-
ton, rewards, political patronage,
pork barrel returns to the state and
(2) he assured that vast sums of
money can-indeed, must be-used
to influence elections. And, in am
plifcation of the second item, he
made it possible for any administra-
ton, any dominant party, in con-
troll of the federal government to
build up national and state ma
chimes jointly byusing federal money.
Too Many Senators Out for
Greatest Amount Of StUag
I grant that corporations, vested
interests" formerly had too much
to say about the election of United
States senators by state legislatures.
But of the two, I have come to the
conclusion that we had a better ma
tional administration and particular
ly better senate under that condi-
ton than under the system where
every voter casts ballot directly
for United States senatorial NOM
inee. That is why rs per cent of
the present senate members are
nothing more or less than statesmen
who are trying to collect for their
states the greatest amount of swag
which they can put over with their
brother senators. That is why, too,
day after day, we have watched
cliques formed and trading done
over legislation in the senate. The
senators either are trying to make
good on demagogic promises or they
are building storehouse to be used
in the next campaign.
Senator Norris may have thought
he was performing a great service
to the American people and he may
have felt that he was building a
monument for his name, but I am
firmly convinced he did quite the
contrary. For, be it known, were it
not for Mr.. Norris monumental
amendment to the Constitution of
the United States there could hardly
be such an outrage committed as
that by Mr.. Hopkins. 1t must be
remembered that Mr.. Hopkins new
er was elected; he is an appointee
of the President of the United States
and is responsible to him alone. So
when Mr.. Hopkins flirts with a state
electorate, there can be no other
Interpretation placed upon his &C
ton than that he is using the infu-
ence available as a result of his die
tatorship over relief distribution.
1t all depends, of course, upon
how one views the functions and
purposes of the United States SEN
ate. If one wants the senate to be
just a glorifed house of representa-
tives, able to maintain itself solely
on what pap it is able to lay in
the laps of voters-then, we ought
to keep the present system. If, how
ever, one believes as do that the
senate is comprised, or should be,
of senators of the United States in
stead of senators of a state variety
unconcerned with the Union of
states, then there could well be re-
peal of the amendment.
g Western Newspaper Union.