The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-03-03
The Election OF Senators.


The proposition to amend the Consti-
tuition SO as to provide for the election
of Senators by a direct vote of the people
is calculated to win favor by reason of
it's apparent conformity to the idea of
popular government. It seems, at first
glance, to be entirely logical and consis-
tent, and the average voter is apt to
wonder why it was not adopted by the
wise men who laid the foundations Of
our Government. But when the history
of the matter is examined, and the argu-
ments considered which led to the selec-
ton OF the present plan, it assumes a
different aspect. Such a proposition
was made in the Constitutional Conven-
ton, along with several others, and after
full debate it was rejected by practi--
cally unanimous vote. The reasons for
this decision were that the Senate should
represent the States in political sense,
SO that the latter might have means of
defending themselves againt Federal en-
croachments; that a body thus chosen
would act as check upon the possible
excuses of the other branch of Congress;
that the Legislatures would be likely to
elect better men than would be chosen
in a popular contest; and finally, that
the commercial interest of the country
would thus have equal protection with
the agricultural interest. These consid>
eratlons were deemed sufficient by the
fathers to warrant the adoption of the
method that now prevails, and every vote
was cast in its favor.
There is nothing to be said in support
of the plan of election by the people that
was not said in the original discussion of
the question; and the objections then
made to it have been confirmed rather
than removed by time and experience
1t is just as important now as it was
then that the Estates as States should
have such recognition and security. The
proposed change would not be complete
without the abrogation of the present
equality of the States in the Senate, since
it would be necessary for the same nuns
Der of people in each State to choose
Senator in order to carry out the idea of
Senate directly representing the people
instead OF the States. In other words,
the whole legislative system would have
to be overturned and readjusted before
the theory Of election by the people as a
people could be justly and fairly applied.
The country is surely not ready for a
transformation of that radical charac-
ter; nor is there any good reason for
partial resort to such process
Under the present plan the Senate of
the United States has taken r.ak with
the foremost deliberative assemblies of
the world. 1t has more than once serv-
ed the purpose of asresting vicious politi
cal tender and defeating dangerous
projects of legislation on the part of the
House. There is no ground for believ-
ing that it would be improved in char
acter of usefulness if it should be effect
ed by direct popular vote; on the con-
trary, it would probably deteriorate in
every respect. The nearest approach
that we have eyer had to such an cleo
tion, perhaps, was that of Senator PETER.
of Kansas. He was the product of
political movement that represented the
existing public opinion of his State.
Practically speaking, the people voted
directly in the case and the result was |
not such, to say the least, as to encour-
age further experiments of that kind.