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Show U.MTnil .STA1I.H ssLNAIf. ItllOU'il. IlnonM In the method of electing United Htalca Benatora Is aHiimlug Ihepnportloriaof n national demand. Already In the prraeut Congreaa aeve-ral aeve-ral Joint resolutions have been ollercd . In both houses urging tho election of Benatora by dlrict popular vote. Iloth partlea seem equally desirous of adoi t-lug t-lug tho now scheme, rainier of till uols, a Democrat, Is no more earueat In the movement than Johuato n uf North Dakota, a Itvpuhllcen. Bectloii it of tho Constitution of tho United Htateaaayi; "Tho Henato of the I'nlted Hlate shall be comjioseil of two Netiators from each Ntatx, eho,n by I he legislature llKioof, for six yours: und iuh rlcnator ahall havoonasiute." Ihla provision governa the rut tho J now In practlca. The proposed amendment amend-ment woull lake from tbo HtaloKgl-lature HtaloKgl-lature the power of electing Unllrd Btatee Benatora and confer It on the oplo directly. liven at the time nf the a loptlou of the Tederal Constitution this quesllon was earnestly, auJ, lu truth, bitterly discussed. However, thu resent me'hoj wasngrted on at a sort of coni promise. Jtmea Madison, writing In the t'rdtru'ul, away back In liso, silJ: "It I equally unnecesssry bull! ita on Disappointment nf Keiulura I y IheStUle Iieglslaturo. Among the various tnode-j which might havo boen devlse.1 for con-elltutiiiglhl con-elltutiiiglhl branch nf the goteruimnl, thu which ha been propo eil by the eon-vcntlon eon-vcntlon I probahly tho must congenial with p iblio opinion. It la recom mended by tho double jsjvautaga uf favoring a aclet.t appointment, an 1 nf glrlng to ibo Hta ogorerunieuUBiuh au agoricy In the formation of toe 1'edoral lloverninenta iiuistaoouro tho authority of llielonner, and may form n ojnvon lent link between thulwoayaleiiit." At that time the opinion prevailed amour, some prominent men that a pure democracy would bulhebcalforni of government. Therefore tluy do-alredaltapplliitmeotiaud do-alredaltapplliitmeotiaud electloui to come f'roin the dlrec.t vote of thn laiuple. On the other baud, temally Inilueullal men wanted e?me reatralnta ou thu poiilar will, some kind of baliueo wheel aa II were, au that neither the l'eople nor thu chief ma glstratu would be entirely absolute. Hut the extreme wing uf this arty favored rhentra antagonistic to reiaibllcau or demo-cratlo demo-cratlo government. Finally a compromise com-promise wa i fleeted, and the tnteresta of thu ieople, the Btato and tho national na-tional government sub-ervod. The eltctlou by Htato leglslaturoa, us Madl-aouaays, Madl-aouaays, fully met tho piiblln opinion of thu time, and waa the plan aJotd. Tuhllo upiulon today may bu name-what name-what dlirereut, aud Hie mattes may ace no ueceaalty far ruoognlzing the organlo Individuality of the Hlate,, for It la evident that durlu? tho past few Jeare the deniatl 1 for electing Benatora by popular vote Iim bceu growing. Charge of corruption and venality aru biluj i-ouatantly made ngaltut Btato leglslaturo. It 1 said that they are In many cisus controlled by corporatlona and other Improia-r liillueniis. In ISOJ In Illinois this que.tlou enteral largely Into Htatu liolitlca. The Detnocratto convention of ttiat Btato endorsed Oo n. Talmerfor Beiiilir, all Hie county, district aud muolclpal conveatlona did Ibo same. Tho result waa that all ,c nndldates for both branches of tbe Assembly pledged themselves In the event of (lection to vote for Gen. Palmer a Benator from Illinois. Tula came aa near to n choice by direct p-jptitar vo to as could bo pos. alble under the preaenttjstem. Itepriseulatlvo Miller uf Wisconsin, tufore the Houso torunilttiio uu thu vlertlauof President, VI le.r'resldent, etc., a fuw daya ago, urgod a Joint resolution reso-lution In ftvor of a uonstltutlunal auiQiiimeiit more aweeplng thau that proosed for u direct popular votu. Ho would give a Benator to lach Htato primarily nu I an aldltlontl Benator for each million of Inhabitant, all to be selected directly by tho people, llvou tills question waa discussed one huu I red yiara ago, and u large party theu favored populir representation In tho Benate, Tin met hod llnatly ndo t-of, t-of, of equal ropreventatlon of the Htilos, no nutter ho largo or small, Is likely to prevail fir mnthtr cuntury at least. The smillor ,Btatua would never consent to a change and it would probably be no Impriivuucnt. |