The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-23

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decision they will be judged by history.
MIR. Chandler on the Election o
United States Senators.
Tho nonsense Of the proposition to cleo
United States Senators by popular vote wa
exhibited last week by the Hon. VILLA,
E. CHANDLER Of New Hampshire In one o
the ablest and witiest speeches which tn,
Senate has heard In modern times. Mr.
CHANDLER Is pretty well known as Re
publican Of incandescent craftsmanship; bu
on this question We give him credit FOL
thoroughly Democratic ideas concerning
the system Of government which the au
thors Of the Constitution established more
than ono hundred years ago. and which the
cranks fourishing at the tag end OF the
nineteenth century are constantly trying
to change into another and radically diff.
ferent form OF government.
Two joint resolutions have been intro.
duced at the present session proposing a
constitutional amendment requiring that
the election Of Senators shall be by direct
vote. The first was put in by Mr.. MITCHELL
Of Oregon. a Republican. and the second by
Mr.. TURPIE OF Indiana. a Democrat. Both
resolutions we're referred to the COMMITTEES
on Privileges and Elections, and again by
that body to subcommittee consisting OF
Mr. MITCHELL. Mr.. TURP1E. and Mr.. CHAND-
LER. Mr.. MITCHELL and Mr.. TURPIE ha We
blended their two measures into new joint
resolution. proposing as the Sixteenth,
Amendment Of the Constitution provision
that Senators shall be elected for six years
by direct vote OF tho people. the qualiflca-
tiOns for electors to be the same as for
members Of the most numerous branch Of
the State Legislature, and the power to ap-
point in case OF vacancy resting with the
Governor until the next Congress election.
This resolution is now before the Senate:
and Mr.. CHANDLER. as a minority Of the
subcommittee "f three. opposes it viRor-
ously In the capital speech 10 which We
have already referred.
His first objection to tho change Is that It
will be csrtain to result In the adoption OF
Federal election law; that Is to say, In
tho passage OF Force bill. It may seem
q little strange that Mr.. CHANDLEH should
use this argument. but 1t must be remem-
bered that he is addressing his remarks 70
Democratic Senators as well as to RepublI-
cans. and that some OF tho Democrats
In tho Senate are In quite az much
need as their Republican colleagues
OF fortifcation against this proposed
folly. With polite and delicate irony Mr..
CHANDLER proceede to brace up tho Democ-
racy OF these webbling Democrats. He IN
forms them that the extension of the sys-
TEN Of popular elections to tho choice Of
Senators Is sure to lead to tho taking pos-
session Of the Federal elections In the States
by Federal officials appointed by the Fed
eral Government. ond oven to still greater
absorption OF powers now resting with the
States. That he is right about this no clear.
headed person will doubt. His argument is
as adroit as 1t Is lucid:
Ies the attention of Senators to the fact that the
amendment which 10 now proposed immediAtel sx.
tends the Federal power over popular elections In
the States TO extent which does NOT
now permit While the power to regulate the election
Of Senators by Congress is as undispused a. the
power TO regulate the election of Representative.
yet tue election of senators, which can nov Ia
regulated Is an election by the Legislatures of tho
States. IT, However. this amendment ID sdop,ed and
Senators are hereafter to be elected directly by the
people. It follows Immediately and concuslvely that
tho powers given to Congress to make ara
extended TO the popular election OF senstors snd In
my judgment Just as soon a. It comes to be seen that
Representatives, and Senators both to be elected by
the people, there Will he demand for FEDERAL elec-
ton law which it will be impossible to resist
Indeed. MT President It seems to me unYoason able
that the amendment as It stands for the election
OF Senators by the people should DO adopted AMI that
the States should continue to po,sess the power 10
prescribe the qualifications OF the yoterz which povsr
they now have because the Qualifications for electors
OF Representatives In Congress to 10 the same as
those prescribed by each State the election Of me
bers or tho most numerous branch Of Its state eysla
ture Under that power the state prescrbes such quail
cations a. II peAses for electors OF the members Of
the most NUMEROUS branch OF Its State legislature and
those electors will he the electors Of Represents.
ves In Congress- and II the change proposed Is made
they will BE- the electors Of United States Senstor II
Is clear that this 10 unreasonable
Therefore II the Joint resolution Is reported TO the
committee or to the Senate In tho form determined
upon BY the Senator from Oregon the Senator from
Indiana. shall move to amend the by striking
out the provision that the shall have the
rcatons requisite for electoro In the erous
branch OF the state Legislature and by providing that
they shall have 'such qualifications as may be pre-
scribed by Congress- To the end that II shall be within
the power Of Congress- when both its Senators and It's
are chosen BY the people, to determine
who shall be the electors In the several States and In
order that the States may not be allowed make such
that the qualifications Of the electors
In State Aha be different from the OF
the electors Ia another"
Follow Mr.. CHANDLER's reasoning closely,
and SEQ 10 what 1t leads. 1t leads TO the
In the Government at Wash
State to determine the qualifications Of Its
voters fov Fel era office. The final amend
ment. OF which no now kindly gives notice