Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-03
SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1890.
ELECTING UNITED STATES SENATORS
BY THE PEOPLE.


BY THE PEOPLE.
The proposition to elect United States
Senators by a direct vote of the
people is one which will rapidly gain
favor with the people. Under the orig
inal scheme for the constitution of the
higher branch of the national legislature
the members of that body were designed
to be the representatives of the States
rather than of the people, and this plan
has been adhered to ever since. 1t was
only through the adoption of series Of
compromises that the adoption of the
constitution was made possible. One OF
the effects of the war has been the loos-
ening of popular reverence for that fea-
ture of that instrument which made the
Senator distinctively the representative
of State sovereignty, and the change
could be brought about in time. 1t is
not in the power of the States to effect
change without a constitutional amend
ment, as the manner of the election of
United States Senators was not left to
the several commonwealth. Section 3
of Article l of the Constitution reads:
''The Senate of the United States shall
"be composed of two Senators from each
estate, chosen by the legislature thereof
Hfor six years, and each Senator shall
"have one VOTE" Section ", of the
same article, however, would seem to
throw some doubt on the point,
and would appear to confer on
Congress very considerable power in the
premises 1t says: ''The times, places
"and manner of holding elections for
"Senators and Representatives shall be
prescribed in each State by the legis
"lature thereof; but the Congress may at
"any time, by law, make or alter such
regulation, except as to the places of
Choosing Senator'S"
To layman this second clause would
seem to invest Congress itself with the
power of making the elections of United
States Senators dependent on the will of
that body. Even if this interprett tsas ten
were accepted, in matter of such
gravity the reform would more properly
be brought about by an amendment to
the national constitution. Would such
an amendment be adopted by the
requisite majority of the States or the
people, in view of the traditions of the
country and it's uniform practice? 1t
would be such a radical innovation that
its beneficial character would be in
great danger of being overshadowed by
its novelty. In the present condition
of public sentiment and with the in
herited ideas as to the matter, it would
be difficult to effect the reform short at
least OF years of agitation.
That more democratic sentiment
and constitution ought to be infused
into the Senate would be generally con-
ceded by most men who should take the
trouble to inquire into the issue on its
merits. AS matter of fact, that body
has become the most exclusive and
aristocratic coterie in the world. Its
membership is smaller than that Of any
other legislative body in country of
anything like the population of the
United States. 1t is fact in the per-
sonal experience of any one who has
had much to do with the dignitaries at
Washington that it is a thing of far
greater ease to obtain an audience with
the President or Secretary of State than
with United States Senator. Through
the practice of nearly century Sen
ator has come to regard himself as sort
of Grand Mogul. 1t is not improbable
that it would be easier to obtain an in
terview with the Czar of Russia than
with the average Senator in the Capitol
building. The fact that this body was
so long regarded as the citadel of the
reserved rights of the States, and was
graced by men of extraordinary ability
for so many years, is probably response
BILE for much of this exclusiveness. AS
q fact beyond controversy, however it
may have arisen, the body is aristocratic
and autocratic. The only thing that
protects the people of the United States
from the imputation of being governed
Wy oil lllC SllOlJ CSHulC VI
power of the ordinary Senator.
Notwithstanding the high and august
character of the Senate, wag some
times gets into that body who gives it's
dignity away. When Nesmith was sent
to Washington as one of the United
States Senators from Oregon he arrived
there with very exalted sense of the
dignity of the Senate. In telling his
impressions and experiences to a friend
afterwards, he said, "When l first took
"my seat in the Senate often wondered
chow a man like myself ever got there.
"When had been around the capital for
"several months l wondered how the
"other fellows got there" The story is
old but true, and is replete with blunt
Western humor.
The practice of electing Senators
by the legislatures of the
States has made corruption in such
elections very easy. The baneful prac-
tice was begun by Simon Cameron, who
would at no time in his later years have
dared to face direct vote of the people
of the Keyston State. In 1857 he