Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-09-04

other states. OF course such q popular
vote for senator could not have the least
legal effect. The constitution of the
United States proscribes the method OF
choosing senators. which must be by vote
of the legislature. But 1t is quite possible
to change the practical working of that
provision, while leaving the letter of it
unaltered, just al the original plan OF
committing the selection of a president
to the personal choice OF an electoral
college has been completely overtime wn,
while the college itself, and all the emp
ty formalities accompanying it, are re-
tanned as created by the constitution. 1t
is obvious that, If the states generally
were to provide for an informal ballot
for United States senator, at the state
election next preceding the expiration
OF q senatorial term, and it the people
generally were to avail themselves OF
this permission, 1t would not be long be-
fore such vote would come to be CON-
sidered morally binding upon the legis-
latnre and the actual selection Of sens-
tors be transferred to the people by
direct ballot.
1t will, perhaps, bear considering
whether there would be more of gain or
loss in such q possible peaceful revolu-
ton. OF course the theory of the con-
stitutlon, by which the lower house
represents the aggregate of the people
and the upper house the states in their
political capacities, would be entirely
set aside. But there is not a great deal
left of it anyway. With the destruction
of the notion of state sovereignty, the
state, as q factor in national affairs, lost
its chief importance and prerogative.
For local matters the state is as supreme
as ever. AT Washington the stste outs
an extremely small figure. The change
in this particular, therefore, would be
more formal and less actual than at first
appears. Moreover, there have been
forces OF work for some time to commend
the notion to a very different reception
from what it would have met q short
time age. The dissatisfaction with the
senate and With the sort of material that
gets into it under the present system is
real and profound. The spreading
custom OF selecting millionaire figure
heads for what ought to be the most
dignitied and important representative
position, reserved for the most ex-
perienced and ablest citizen of q state,
has shorn the senatorial office OF some OF
its dignity and respect in the eyes of the
people. The apparent disregard of the
senate for that public opinion to which
it hardly considers itself responsible, as
shown in the refusal to abolish secret
sessions and in the standing custom of
subordinating every public interest to
the demands of senatorial courtesy"
have started an agitation not entirely to
be despised, for the abolition of the
senate. That, of course, is both undesir-
able and impossible, since the constitu-
tion declares that no state shall, without
lts own consent, be deprived of Its equal
representation in the senate. But the
discomfort would be satisfied if the up
per house were to be made, as the lower
now is, practically responsible in the first
instance to public opinion. All will de-
pend upon the extent to which future
legislatures voice the popular will in
senatorial elections, and the extent to
which the senate itself concludes to SUBJ
NIT Its large independence to that will.
II the membership and conduct OF that
body should continue to exhibit the
changes marked in the last dozen years,
ii would not be at ali surprising to find
q general adoption OF the Nebraska idea
and a popular determination which
would compel legislatures to observe, in
eleeting senators, the choice thus indi-
Gated in advance.