Show by popular veto the senatorial elections and in dome cases the lack of election has this year furnished a frightful theme of editorial discussion throughout the country there seems to be a growing sentiment in favor of election by popular vote many of the larger and more influential newspapers openly advocating a constitutional amendment permitting that plan the st louis globe democrat is one of the few large newspapers opposing it the globe democrat thinks that the mere substitution of nomination by a state convention for bomin aaion by a caucus of members of the legislature would not give us a better class of senators than we get now governors are furnished by the convention plan arc governors it asks taking the country as a whole superior in intellect or character to the senators Is gov leedy of kansas a better man intellectually or morally than senator peffer in what respect was gov stone of missouri superior to senator vest or gov hill of new york to senator hill our contemporary then reasons that the same influences which sway legislative isla tive caucuses run state conventions conventions are a little larger in membership than the caucuses but this impediment to the operation of improper influences is more than neutralized by the circumstance that members of conventions arc before the people for only a day or two while members of legislatures are in the public eye for from one to four years necessarily the restraint which the public is able to exercise over conventions must be less than what it exerts over legislatures and finally the globe democrat says it is in the civic indolence and inertia of men of education and standing the lack among them of the public spirit which would abow them that their ad and position place them under special obligations to the community to use their influence in aeu arine clean and capable public officials and the absence of the political virtue and courage which would impel them to perform their doty earnestly and intelligently with this spirit officials can be chosen by any method without this spirit no method which can be de viewed by human ingenuity can secure them the latter statement is entirely true politics as manipulated in most states now drive out the men of influence and standing ia the community if they happen to have made a success in life and own prop erty then they are accused of corrupting legislators aud seeking to bay up a senator if they are church menas many of our leading citizens are hero in utah and they pate then the cry goes up that the church is seeking to control the state but notwithstanding thesa many false cries we favor the better men of the community no matter what their standing exercising their rights as american citizens let them come out and use their influence as citizens for the election of the best men to office if that bood healthy american spirit is brought into politics the method of electing senators will not amount to much |