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The Green Bag
situated that it has none or only a half representation in that body, and while
it might not be the best of good manners to make the reply, it would be logical for the state to say to the Senate: "Mind your own business." And I
cannot see how a state Senatorial dead lock is any worse than a long drawn out contested election case, or that the former are as frequent as the latter.
In the light of history one is safe in asserting that in the advancement of the doctrine of the rights of man and of' protection of property, the upper
House, in this country and England, has always been found reliable.
It
was the aristocrats of England —the Barons-who extorted Magna Carta from King John. But the wars waged by the Barons, by Simon de Montfort, were waged not for the aristocrats alone, but for the WHOLE PEOPLE of
England.
Magna Carta is the instru
ment from which the people draw as from a perpetual reservoir all of their inspirations of justice — it is the Anglo
Saxon fountain head of the rights of man to free government.
In fact, at
an extreme juncture, one would be more secure in entrusting his personal rights
and property interests to ours is constituted than to body chosen directly by The Senate receives its
a Senate as any popular the people. propositions
second class, as it were;
it has the
people, whether the elections for mem bers of both houses should be simul taneous or held at difl'erent times, or under federal or state regulations, the theory and spirit of the Constitution
that the Upper House should contain a class of men superior in experience, knowledge and wisdom would be lost sight of, and the same stamp of individ
uals will be candidates for the Senate or House of Representatives indis criminately as circumstances may dic
tate. The fruit follows the seed. Pumpkin seed will not produce oranges. But there is another-and second profound distinction between the Senate of the United States and the English
House of Lords—growing out of the diflerence between the two govern ments.
The one is a limited monarchy
— the other a Republic. The members of the House of Lords represent the whole nation; the members of the United States Senate represent the in
dividual states of the Union and are in the Senate to maintain the sover eignty of their respective states they are its agents. This government could not have been formed if a council had not been provided for so that there would be absolute equality of the states in that body.
And in this respect I feel it important to say one word as to the nature of our government.
Our federation is a union of states
advantage of the debates and thoughts of the popular assembly. When the latter is bubbling over with excitement; when its leaders are red hot with par tisan prejudice, the Upper House is cool and wise. Their eyes not only see the present but they look into the future. They distinguish between a mere tem
give to the general government as much power as is necessary to make the
porary and evanescent policy and one
states have not stripped themselves of
which is stable and for the real and permanent good of the people. More over, if the Senate is elected by the
all of their sovereignty.
for mutual protection and benefit. The states maintain their individuality but
federation a real sovereign as to all
external and sufficient though limited powers over internal affairs, but the
to the contrary.
Very much
Which creates this
anomaly: A citizen of the United States
