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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