The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-02-17
UNITED srArEL SENATORS.

directly by the people. The adoption Ct
su IN a change in our system would at
least have the good effect of doing away
with the scandals altogether too frequent
of wealthy men purchasing heir seats
in the upper house.
The main obstacle in the way of such
a change is hat it involves a constitution
al amendment, and there are few things
n u political life harder to bring about
than amendments to the organic law,
either S late or National. In the cases of
State Constitutions l. is notorious that
people will go on indefinitely bearing
real evils, rather than adopt constitutional
amendments which will cure the evils.
Any proposition to change the organic
law seems to awaken all the conservatism
in peoples natures, and great numbers
will vote against any proposition simply
because they would rather endure the ills
they have than run any risk of opening
the door to "tinkering with the Constitu-
ton"
1t may be interesting to say something
as to how the Senate came to have its
present form. There was no Senate in
the Continental Congress. There was but
n House, and each State had a single
vote in it. The constitutional convention
of 1877, following the model of the
British Government, then the best form
known, was in favor of two hou ses, but
sorely puzzled how to constitute an upper
b. use which would be different from the
lower one and a check upon it. 1t was a
long while before the idea Of a Senate was
conceived, and it really grew out of the
jealousy of the smaller States of the larger
ones. But eleven States took part of tae
earlier proceedings of the convention.
Two of the four delegates from New
Hampshire came in later, and no delegates
were appointed by Rhode Island. The
small States five in number-were
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,
Delaware and Maryland. The "large
States" were Massachusetts,, Pennsyl-
vsnis, Virginia, North and South Caro-
liza and Georgia.
The "small States feared that they
would be over: laughed by the large ones,
and so 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 Con yress,
upper house, but proposed that its mem
4 bC1S S44Ou4O OO SAOSCA ny GnC uOuSC I'll
representatives out of a number of per-
sons nominated by the legislatures of the
several States. Three ways in all were
suggested to constitute the membership /:
/. Appointment by the chief executive
from nominations by the legislatures.
2. Election by the people.
3. Election by the legislatures.
Alexander Hamilton urged as an amend
| -o-4 49, A.. ~o-aL1-z III l. --
by electors chosen by the people Of the
States, and that they should serve during
good behavior. Pinckney proposed a
term of three years. The committee of
the whole diges;ed these propositions, 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 in proportion to the
popula ion.
This was the shape in which it appears
in the first draft of the Constitution. June
"a 25, 1887, the convention adopted the
report of the committee, except that the
term was changed from seven to six years,
and the i~neligibility clause was stricken
out. The convention then entered upon a
practracted struggle as to the representa-
ton of each State, and various PROPOSE
tons were urged. One scheme gave
Rhode Island and Delaware each one and
Virginia five, with the other States pro-
portiOne1 between these. DR.. Franklin
proposed that each State have an equal
representation, with a vote on money
bills proportionate to its share of the
taxes. Delaware threatened to withdraw
from the confederation if the small States
were not given an equal representation,
and finally, after the debate had gone on
for six weeks, the plan of giving each
State two members was adopted, and the
small States concentrated their efforts
upon giving the "second branch the
utmost power and Importance. Aug. 6
the name Senate" was formally given
the "second branch" Sept. 6 the Office
Of Vice President was agreed upon, and
he was made the presiding officer of the
Senate in order to give him something to
do. The Constitution was finally adopted
Sept. II.
The Farmers Alliance platform confines
itself to a mere demand for the election OF
Senators by the people, and does not
specify how this is to be done. Here is
opportunity for a wide diversity of opinion.
Shall it be by the whole vote of a State,
as a Governor is elected, II shall each
| State be divided into two senatorial dis
tricts? Shall the present rule of two
Senators for each State-large or small
continue, or shall each State have a vote
in the Senate in proportion to its popula-
ton
Before any change can be made it will
be necessary to get section 3, article l, OF
the Constitution amended. This reads
"The Senate of the United States shall
be composed of two Senators from each
State, chosen by the legislature thereof,
for six years, and each Senator shall have
one vote"
To secure this amendment it will be
necessary to have it proposed by two
thirds of the members of both houses of
| Gnnnraas and 81 nn..st thnn hn ratiRad hu