The Election of United States Senators the method of electing Senators—- the abolition of the Senate. The Articles
of Confederation provided simply for a House of Delegates sent by the respective states to represent them— one legislative body-but the nature of our present Constitution, recognizing the necessity of proper checks and balances, created two—- to act as one
when wisdom prevailed, but to operate separately when the folly or passion of the lower house would result in injury
to the people. The proposition now is practically
231
It affords me infinite satisfaction and pride as a citizen of this Republic to make this statement: That since its creation, looking at it as a whole, the Senate of the United States compares
very favorably with any legislative body of ancient or modern times.
It has fairly
fulfilled all of the predictions of its authors and friends. Its usefulness as a check has been illustrated on many occasions, memorably when a few Re publican Senators rising high
above
party and partisan political motives repulsed the scandalous attempt to
to make the two one; one body listening
remove Andrew Johnson from the Presi
to, and inspired solely by the voice of
dency by impeachment. In point of intelligence, patriotism, wisdom and of the political and moral honesty of its members it is a legislative body which the people should be proud to sustain in its entirety. Surely it has at times been the subject of just criticism; I
the people.
The question preliminarily
arises why such a radical change in our government is required? What are the defects of the present system? What are the mischiefs that arise from the Senate as now constituted? Has the United States Senate made such an
grant that at times some of its members
unenviable record that we must resort
have been partial, ignorant and even
to the serious step of amending the
corrupt, but it is as near an approach
Constitution?
to political fitness as any other branch of the government. Hold it up to the mirror of comparison with the Execu tive, the Judicial—or the popular body — the House of Representatives —
There are two propositions which must be demonstrated before such a change can fairly be demanded; first, that the method of selecting Senators by the legislatures has proven a failure; second, that the remedy proposed will give the people a better class of Senators than we now have by legislative selec tion. The former is incapable of being affirmatively answered by facts;
and
the latter is a pure dream or speculation utterly insufiicient to justify a change in the organic law.
Naturally these questions must be squarely answered before the people of this country should move; naturally
there must be some demonstration of existing evils before we apply a knife to the Constitution which will cut away root and branch a function so important as the Senate.
go back through all the mutations of party and political strife — and it does not suffer by the view. It may be true that a few men have obtained seats in that body by the use
of money; it may also be true that some have been returned through the worse influence of partisan politics; and it is true that some of its members have been ignoramuses, demagogues and blatherskites, but neither of these
classes has had any appreciable influ ence upon legislation. One thing is sure, that in no legislative body do men find their true level so quickly as in the upper House of Congress. He who has
been returned by corruption; he who,
