St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-17
Party Lines Not Likely to Be
Drawn in Working This
Great Reform.
Senator Palmer and Repre-
sentative Johnson Lead
the Attack.
Provisions of the Measures
Proposed to Secure the
Amendment.

llONCllCIil 1OI biiC ClCCtlOll VI OLlbSo
States senators by vote of the people
is destined to be one of the most i'm
portant subjects discussed by the Fifty
second congress. 1t seems likely to be
| the one great subject of national inter-
est upon which party lines are not to be
| drawn, and from this fact the advocates
| of the proposed reform derive great en-
cOuragement of ultimate success. While
| it is probably true that of the dozen
joint resolutions on the subject intro
duced in the two houses, or in course of
preparation, most of the authors are
Democrats, yet several of the most en-
phatic advocates of the constitutional
amendment are prominent Republicans.
Senator Palmer, of Illinois. who has
long stood as the exponent of this popu-
lar principle in the West, and who
ascribes his election solely to the favor
with which the people of Illinois received
the new theory, will take charge of the
reform movement in the senate, while
representative from North Dakota, will
be the most aggressive advocate of the
constitutional amendment in the house.
johnson Remembers.
In Representative Ryan,of Nebraska:
EnlOe, of Tennessee: Springer, of Illi-
nois, and Miller, of Wisconsin, he will
have warm corporations; but to Repre-
sentative johnson will probably be con-
ceded the leadership of the new move
ment because of his Oft-repeated asser-
tons that to violation of that princi-
pie was solely due his defeat in the
ynpmOra hla SanatOpiaI contest in thn
state of North Dakota.
The house committee on election of
president. vice president and represent
ativeS i'll congress at meeting today
gave special attention to the various
propositions for constitutional amend
ment providing for the election of
United States senators by direct vote of
the people of the respective states. The
committee was addressed by Repre-
sentative Miller of Wisconsin, Bryan of
Nebraska, Enloe of Tennessee, and
Johnson of North Dakota. all of whom
have propositions of this kind pending
before the committee.
The joint resolution which Mr.. Miller
urged proposes constitutional amend
ment giving one United States senator
to each state primarily, and an addi-
tional senator for each million of inhab-
itants, all to be elected directly by the
people. Of course this would work
A Very Radical Change
indeed in the composition of the United
States senate, but Mr.. Miller commended
that the smaller states had dispropor-
tionately large representation in the
senate, and that his scheme would Sc
cure more equitable representation.
The other three speakers directed
their arguments generally to the broad
of tl1n 06 wi hiIifu nf
of senators by the direct vote of the
people rather than by the present
methods, and then more specifically to
the points III favor of the means pro-
posed by them to bring this about.
They said that the present method en-
ables men to be elected to the senate
who could not be elected by
popular vote and who did not re-
fleet the sentiments of their people.
Corporate influences, it was urged,
were too potent factor in the election
of fenators by the legislatures. Atteu-
ton was called to the frequency of
charges of corruption and bribery made
during and subsequent to elections of
United States senator.
Mr.. Enloe, of Tennessee, said that
while those investigations which had
been made into charges Of corruption
in the election of senators had gener-
ally been fruitless, yet there was no
doubt in the minds of thinking and
reading men that there was substan-
tial foundation for the charges in many
instances.
Mr.. Powers. Of Vermont. asked Mr..
Enloe if popular elections might not re-
suit in sending less able men to the
senate, and If the present method did
not secure the services of men Of ability
who perhaps could not be induced to
take part in political contest such as
was incident to elections.
Mr.. EnlOe said it might possibly occur
occasionally. as, it sometimes did in all
public elections, that men of inferior
capacity might be chosen to the senate.
bnt that the country would suffer less
to have a fool in the senate for six years
than to have corrupt scoundrel.
The three constitutional amendments
offered by MesSrs. Byran, of Nebraska:
Enloe, of Tennessee. and Johnson. of
North Dakota, differ in this, that
Byran's amendment proposes that SEN
atOrs shall be elected by direct vote
only in such states as through their
proper legislative machinery, decide to
elect senators in this manner, while
MessrS. EnlOe and johnson propose that
the new method shall be compulsory as
to all states, on the adoption OF the pro-
posed amendment.
Mr.. Byran said that the argument in
favor of the adoption of his amendment
was that the prospects of its adoption
were greater than if it made a change
compulsory. States which did not care
themselves to change their method of
election of United States senators,
might be willing to agree to an amend
ment which would give to such states
as preferred that method the right to
ELECT senators by direct popular vote.
Likely 90 BE Popular.
The friends of the amendment be-
lieved that the result of the election of
senators by direct vote would be such as
to popularize the new method even in
those states which were not now willing
to make the change, and that in time
the change would commend itself to all
the states and gain all that could be
gained by compulsory amendment,
while not arousing the antagonism that
might be felt to an amendment reouir-
ing each state to change its present
method.
Mr.. Enloe argued that if it were a
good thing to elect senators by direct
vote in one state, it was certainly a
good thing to elect them in this manner
in all the states. The necessity was
great wherever corporate influences be-
come strong.
The argument of Mr.. johnson was al
most sensational because it contained
much of bis personal experience. he