Page:Upbuilders by Lincoln Steffens.djvu/353

 and showed them the use of the new tool. And when, in July, 1903, a circuit court declared the "I. & R." unconstitutional, there was backing for the tool. U'Ren was able to get Senator Mitchell, Brownell, and eight other political and influential corporation attorneys to appear before the Supreme Court, to defend the "I. & R.," which was sweepingly upheld.

The Direct Primary Bill was passed by the people in June, 1904, 56,000 to 16,000. A local option liquor bill was passed by initiative at the same time, and in November several counties and many precincts went "dry." U'Ren had nothing to do with this last, but he did have very much to do with another important enactment—the choice of United States Senators by direct vote of the people.

This radical reform was achieved without secrecy, but yet without much public discussion. It was a bomb planted deep in the Direct Primary Bill, and U'Ren planted it—with the help of Mitchell, Brownell, Bourne and two or three editors of newspapers. The idea occurred to U'Ren to write into the Primary bill a clause: that candidates for nomination for the Legislature "may "pledge themselves to vote for or against the people's choice for United States Senators, "regardless of personal or party pref