Show CON gressional I 1 senator palmer grows eloquent in his speech I 1 1 NEW constitutional AMENDMENT I 1 I 1 doing away with the electoral college A the grand army used for political purposes feb 18 lif if the amendment to the constitution which is proposed is ado adopted apted the members of the senate of the U united e states mil will be chosen by the direct vote otc of the free people of the several se eral states and it will be what it never nev er yet hag has been a popular branch odthe of the congress of the united states these were the words of senator palmer rainier of illinois 1 nois in his speech in the tile senate today 1 agin g the election of of the united states senators b bv popular ote vote and arid his arraignment oft of tue e upper house of congress fress as a non nori popular body was in his language a gnage not often heard by the venerable members of that dignified assembly senator palmer opened his speech bv by saying that in in urging the amendment he only obeyed the instructions given men him in a most impressive impress he in manner aliner by the people of illinois 8 T the lie s senator reviewed re sewed briefly the douglas and lincoln I 1 senatorial contest in illinois and then detailed the successive steps and declarations made by the democracy of illinois in regard to this subject which finally led to democratic triumph in that s state fate and the lie election of himself ag a representative senta tive of eliat principle to the united states state senate the senator insisted that the constitutional mode of electing senators bv by the I 1 legislatures 1 s lasures of the states was no longer fonger seit satisfactory i factory to the american people he lie did not mean to make himself responsible for the tile charges of bribery and undue influence that attended nearly every senatorial election by endorsing or repeating any of them lie ile referred to them in that blight manner only to emphasize the tile statement ment that the people no longer confided in in but were profoundly distrustful of the methods of electing Bena senators tors by state legislatures isla tures none of the reasons which led tile farmers fan ners constitution to deprive the people of the direct control of the he executive department and arid senate now existed experience long ago demonstrated the usefulness of electors for tion of president and ice president health wealth invested in congress in ill manu manufactures fao in railways fore forests is and mines demanded mand ed legislation for its protection or its benefit and its political power whether employed in in congress ora or a state legislature rarely failed of success all that the people could gain by b the proposed amendment would bo be the enlarged powers of self defence senators would be true and exact representatives of the tile people and would defend their homes and property from unequal and ex cestive n e burdens they would dignify the states for the people were w ere the state Elect 1 lorn for the choice of presidential elections the ale election of members of the legislature who elect senators the election of members of the house louse of representatives in congress said the senator are alike and often controlled by the unfair arrangement of the districts dint nets if the amendment to the constitution which I 1 propose ose it is adopted the members of the tile graat senate e will 1 be chosen by the direct vote of the free people of t the he several state states and the senate win will be what it never yet has been a popular branch of the of the united states senator mitchell of oregon said lie had listen listened edwith with pleasure to the able remarks of the senator from illinois lie mitchell had hall had the honor of introducing a similar proposition in ima and arid one at the present session similar amendments it lidid alfo also been introduced by senators from indiana and anddew new hampshire and chandler all 11 these propositions had been referred to the committee on privileges and elections and by that committee to the committee subcommittee sub hub composed of senators chandler purple Turpie and himself and he lie was gratified to be able to state that after consultation sul tation with the majority the sub corn com cittee had agreed to tenor t in favor of such an all amendment ito to the constitution it was wai their hope and arid belief that at an car early day alie full committee on oil privileges M and elections would be able to report favorably on oil an all amendment similar to the tile one introduced by b the senator from illinois rho the subject then went over 01 er dolph moved moi ed to take from the calendar and pass the bill extending for ten years the laws preventing the introduction of chinese but clawley objected it was ho lie said a bill of extraordinary severity and lie wished at least sufficient clent time to read it dolph gae gave notice that he lie would call it up at an early day peffer perkins sterrill hale liale Dant daniels els dolph aal and turpie delivered eulogies on oil the late senator plumb and then the senate adjourned TUB THE HOUSE feb 18 the grand army of the republic has not infrequently been accused of being used to suli erve partisan ends but today toda to da day the tile grave charge of seeking to divide the part party against itself was preferred against this great organization in thel the house louse bland the free coinage leader was the accuser and harter the free trader and and antl free coinage e democrat of ohio was the fendleman Fent gentleman leman caa charged aged with attempting to sit subvert vert tile 0 A K R to the interest of capitalists and monopolists monopolist during the course of the r general engral debate on the indian appropriation bill bland sent pent to the clerics clerks desk eskand and had read a circular letter written bv harter to various orand grand arm army pots po ls ts in denunciation of the free silver bill and arid advising the members of tho the posts to urge congressmen to ote vote a against trains t pl it t as it would prove detrimental to tiie e interests of pensioners this circular bla bland rid characterized as a bulldozing document it was an enort effort to intimidate members a and n d was a part of tile bulldozing tactics of the ill millionaire abart lion alre tactics which always w aya had been tarried carried on in opposition to measures winch which would gue give free silver to the country he ile denounced it as unfair and unbecoming the dignity of a member harter admitted the authorship of the circular letter to men who wore were afraid to hae have an expression of their opinions made public such a circular might seem ito to be bulldozing he lie was not ft a millionaire I 1 nor was he lie the owner of any national bank he lie was more of a farmer than the tile gentlemen from missouri he ile was as much opposed to ahing silver alver bullion producers the tile earnings oft of the i ley people eople as he was to giving them to manufacturers if the fre free e coinage bill passed it would elect benjamin denjamin j a harrison for a second term and arid t this 11 would tie be done by a democratic house under the leadership of the gentleman from Ili missouri onri he ile would like to pay the members of congress with seventy seventy cent dollars and see how they would like it if anything should be made legal tender it should be the corn of kansas and arid not the silver of colorado bland had Har hartery 8 biography as published in the tile congressional directory read in fit order to show that his business life iffe haa has been spent as a banker and manufacturer sliver was t then lien laid aside ashle and the consideration crat silver on of the indian bill was resumed smith of arizona criticizing criticising critic 1 sing ising some of ita its features especially the appropriation for the ca carlisle school chebi the was generally discussed until adjournment ai denver the evidence in rebuttal was given by tile prosecution in the curtla curtis fiven trial ria I 1 today to day dav and tho case continued until next tuesday 1 I L 11 ic 1 11 1 |