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Show H POPULAR ELECTION OF SENA- BmYBmI tlSi l'opular election of senators has BmY-Bm mm failed to get tho two-third support In B , JkT tho United States which wns noces- BmBB Bary to hnvu tho question submitted BmBB' to the people for a vote as to amend- .BmyBmI lug the constitution of tho United ': BjBjBJr States so that thu method of senntor- H. lal election could Lo changed. Thus BmBmE dies for tho time being a measure that BmBB has had ho support of many of tho BBBBBBB most progressive, most radical, most BmBmE. popular and most learned peoplo of BjBmJBj the country. All classes havo suppoil- SBBBBBBk mBBk eJ the lirl)0flltlon ad all classes HW ,& mve ls for BmtBmtBmtBmtIbmtBmBmtBmtBmtBmtbV bo Is The Outlook whlcl) ls for T. H. Other porsonnges and mpgnzlnes not loss prominent havo opposed tho movoment, movo-ment, nnd they seem to have conquered con-quered In the final action of tho Son-nte. Son-nte. Tho vote stood Gl to 33, Senntor Sutherland of Utah votlpg for and Senntor Smoot voting ngnlnst tho measure. Hut undoubtedly tho cause of popular pop-ular election of senntors was lost at this session of Congress purely through tho tnctlcs of Its friends. Tho progrcsuiyo Republicans sacrificed much of tholr sound principles to gain tho vote jof tho southern Dcmocrncy, tho bill Introduced boing so construed constru-ed that .tho United States Sennto would hnve no power ovor thoelec-tlon thoelec-tlon of Us members. Senntor Root pointed out this error, disclaiming against tho proposition so forcibly that ho tore 'down much of tho defense which seemed Impregnable, before. Senntor Sutherland then enmo to ho icscuu of the blll'by offering an amend ment which left tho supervisory control con-trol over senatorial elections In tho hands of tho federal government. This amendment removed some of the obi Jcctlonnhlo features of tho bill, but displeased the southern senators to such an extent that their support was lost. And so perished nnother pot measure of the radical elements of both parties. Prom ilow on, nnother fight will no doubt be Instituted to ncqompllsh tho amendment to tho constitution which will nlloW'bf popular election of senators. sena-tors. Hut 'nn Senator Hoot hits so touts tou-ts ingly pointed out, tho necessity of popular elections Is not bo great ns somu peoplo would- assure us. The straightening up of stnto legislatures, the civic awakening of the peoplo to their political responsibility wherein n butter uso of tho "suffrage would put better men in office, would remove all tho objections to tho present form jof senatorial elections. When tho peoplo nvo truly nwako to tholr powers pow-ers thoy, cnu clearly Indlcnto tholr senatorial choice under tho present manner of election. Senators wero ambassadqrs of .the state, In the estimation of tho frani-eiH frani-eiH of thu constitution. Knch stati formed pai t of a federation with equal powers, obtainable through the veto of tho sellatois. That Is vhy tho state was granted an equal number ot senators, tio matter what the size of tho commonwealth whlcl) thoy represented, rep-resented, fltioi has her twq senntors, or ambassaddi's, just as the much more populous state ot Now York. To let tlio manner of election of thesd ambassadors .become tho will of tho various sthtiis would havo been like passing tlia tvdernl power out ot tho Imnds ot tuqjederul government. To i I give to th deoplo directly tho right of choice of senators would bo dcpait-1 dcpait-1 lug from too theory of tho Constitutional Constitu-tional Convention of 178". |
