Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1891-01-05
UNITED STATES SENATORS.
Interesting Information Brought Out
Through the Alliance Proposition.


One of the demands of the Farmer
Alliance is for the election of senator
directly by the people. The adoption {
such change in our system would a
least have the good effect of doing ava
with the scandals-altogether too fri
quent-of wealthy men purchasing thei
seats in the upper house.
The main obstacle in the way Of sue
change is that it involves constitu
tional amendment, and there are few
things in our political life harder t
bring about than amendments to the OF
ganic law. either state or national. Ii
the cases Of state constitutions it is no
torious that people will 60 on indefinite
'y bearing real evils, rather than adop
constitutional amendments which will
cure the evils. Any proposition t
change the organic law seems to awaken
all the conservatism in peoples natures
and great numbers will vote against am
proposition simply because they would
rather endure the ills they have thar
run any risk Of opening tine door t.
'tinkering with the constitution"
1t may be interesting to say something
as to how the senate came to have it,
present form. There was no senate in
the continental congress. There wa.
but one house, and each state had q
single vote in it. The constitutional
convention Of 1887, following the model
Of the British government. then the best
form known. was in favor of two houses,
but sorely puzzled how to constitute an
upper house which would be different
from the lower one and check upon it.
1t was long while before the idea of a
senate was conceived, and it really grew
out of the jealousy of the smaller states
took part in the earlier proceedings of
the convention. Two of the four dele
gates from New Hampshire came in
later, and no delegates were appointed by
Rhode Island. The "small states" five in
number-weEe Connecticut, New York.
New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland
The large states" were Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, North and South
Carolina and Georgia.
The ''small states" feared that they
would be overslaughed by the large ones,
and 80 they hung out stubbornly for
equal voice in congress. Several of the
plans" suggested did not contemplate
an upper house, but the Virginia plan,
which was eventually made the basis of
congress, did 1t, however, gave no
name to tn, upper house, but proposed
that its m.:mbers should be chosen by
the house of representatives out of
number Il persons nominated by the
legislatures of the several states. Three
ways in all were suggested to constitute
the membership:
l. Appointment by the chief execu-
tive from nominations by the. legisla-
lures.
Q. Election by the people.
8. Election by the legislatures.
Alexander Hamilton urged as an
amendment that the members should be
chosen by electors chosen by the people
Of the states, and that they should serve
during good behavior. Pinckney pro-
posed a term of three years. The COM
mittee of the whole digested these prop
ositions, and reported in favor of a
second branch" the members of which
were to be elected by the legislatures for
seven years, and to be ineligible to any
Office for a year after the expiration Of
their term, and the number was to be i'm
to the population.
This was the shape in which it APP
pears in the first draftsof the constitu-
ton. June 24-25, 1887, the convention
adopted the report Of the committee,