OCR Text |
Show AN AMENDMENT THAT FAILED. A matter which made a good deal of stir in the early part of tho Congressional Congres-sional session but that finally was lost sight of, was the projosod Constitutional Constitu-tional amendment providing for the election of United Stales Senators hy the people Ihe House passed the resolution It went to tho Senate, and wns referred to the Commit'ee on Privileges Pri-vileges and Plectlons of which Senator Burrows of Michigan Is chairman Senntor Hoar of Massachusetts made an elaborate argument against the proposed pro-posed amendment, showing that its adoption would change tho wholo theory nnd basis of this body as established ln the Constitution Senator Depcw argued that It the people were to elect the Senators the qualifications of the voters should bo tho samo throughout the country In order that the Senators might be equal, and nit represent tho same source of power, nnd ho submitted submit-ted nn amendment reciting this prem-Ice prem-Ice and authorizing Congrtss to establish estab-lish the electorate for Scmtots proillo for the registration of citizens entitled to vote the supenlslon of tho elections and the certification of tho result Nothing Noth-ing could bo more reasonable than this A unirorm lotlns qualification with Nntlonal supervision and conduct ot the elections Is the natural nnd proper method of procedure lf tho Scnntora ore to ho elected hy tho people This because be-cause each State Is on an equality In tho Senate, nnl each ha tho light to requlie that the Senators shall nil bo thcte on prclsely the sum basis of right It Is easy to seo that this amendment of Senator Depew s would make the proposed popular election of Senators an odious thine ln all tho Southern States This amendment of the New York Senator was agreed upon hy the Sen-ale Sen-ale Committee to which the House proposed pro-posed amendment wns referred Tho status of the proposition wan then peculiar pe-culiar There was a majority In the committee against tho resolution ns It came from the House, a majority in faior of tho Depew amen Iment, and fl-nnlly, fl-nnlly, n majority against the resolution resolu-tion as ameneled A ilgoroits nttempt was made to force the committee to report the resolution, lut without success suc-cess ns owing to Its peculiar status thoso who were In faior of tho first resolution wero oppose 1 to It after It had been amended while those oppose 1 to It In Its first form were nlso opposed to It In loth forms The Senators from tho Southern Stntoo very generally fa. vor tho orlgtnnl prornsltion for the popular election of Senators but they will ncier yield to thi Depew proposition proposi-tion for the Telcrnl supervision ot elections elec-tions The chnnccs for tho adoption of tho proposed amendment In any form nre therefore very slim for those Senators w ho arc opposed to the amendment amend-ment ns proposed hy tho House, will voto for the Senate Committee amendment amend-ment to make the proposition o llous to the Senators from tho Southern States, and It Is likely that their vnteB combined com-bined with the votes of thoso who roally believe In this 1 ederil supervision In case the method of election Is changed, will suffice t retain that amendment to the amendment and with that ro-tnlnrd ro-tnlnrd tho votes that tho proposition i ould rccelio coul 1 be counted on tho fingers It looks ns if tho proposition had encountcrel n permanent lock-out |