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Show l OIHiK A'D HIS BILL, ' ' In common with the St. Louis Globe-Dcinocrat Globe-Dcinocrat and other republican papers, Tiik Times is not in favor of the Lodge bill, if for no other reason than that it injects a carpet-bag element into the congressional elections that is uliiinx ions to the, American sense of home government. At present every stale elects its own members without outside interference, ami generally the governor govern-or certifies to the elect. That certain evils exist under tho present system no candid person can deny, but we doubt whether the appointment of a com. mission composed of professional poli. ticians taken at .large and conllieling with people 6f whom they are no part, and with certain rights that tradition, if not tho constitution, sanctions, will Improve things. At any rate the Lodge bill has been sheltered for tho present by tho action of leading republicans themselves who'd eemed it impolitic to push it, if indeed to pass it at all. Now however comes Harvard college and takes Mr. Lodge in hand by do- foating him as one of tho stewards for that institution, and although President Presi-dent Elliot makes a pnblie denial of the charge that political motives were at the bottom of Mr. Lodge's defeat.it is generally conceded that tho denial is forced und fails to deny. In justification justifica-tion of his position President Klliot insists in-sists that tho majority of Harvard graduates grad-uates and members of the alumni who choose tho stewards are republicans, but if this bo so, and wo have no reason to doubt It, thou it shows all the more tho wisdom of Dostuoninnr action nn thn bill until after tho November election at any rate. If the best intelligence of tho party is opposed to it tho danger of following the counsel of such hot heads as Congressman Kennedy must bo easily easi-ly apparent. |