The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-01-23
United States Senators to be Elected
by u Direct Vote of the
People.
Such is the Proposition That is Now
E~ngrOssing the Attention Of
Congress.
A Good Deal Of Interest Taken in
the Gillian Affair by Our
Law Makers.

WAsHiNGTON, Jan. lG. The popular
States senators by a vote of the people
is destined To he 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-
couragcmcnt of ultimate success. While
il is probably true that 4 dozen Joint
resolutions on the subject to be intro
duccd in the two houses are in course Of
preparation most Of the authors are
democrats. yet several of the most en-
phatic advocates of the constitutional
~amenument 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 pnopleof Illinois received
the theory, will take charge Of
the reform movement in the
senate, while Representative John
son, the republican representative
from North Dakota will be the most az
gressivc advocate Of the constitutional
amendment in the house. In BRYAN of
Nebraska. EnlOc of Tennessee. Springer
of Illinois, and Miller Of Wisconsin, lac
will have warm cooperation, but to
Representative johnson will probably be
conceded the leadership OF the new
movement because of his Oft repeated as
s%rrtions that to the violation of that
principle was solely due his defeat in the
memorable senatorial contest in the
state Of North Dakota.
Tn" house committee on the election
Of president, vicc-presi'lcnt and repro
scntativeg in congress at a meeting today
gave special attention the various promo
sitinDs for ii constitutional amendment
providing for the election of United States
senators by a direct vote Of the people Of
the respective states. The committee
was addressed by Representatives Miller
of Wisconsin, Bryan Of Nebraska. Enluc
of Tennessee and johnson of North pa
kOtH, all Of whom have propositions 81
this kind pending before the committee.
The Joint resolution which Miller urged
proposes a constitutional amendment
giving the United States senators to each
state primarily and an additional senator
for each million Of inhabitants. all to bc
elected directly by Tia" people. IF course
this would work Il radical change in the
composition of the United States senate
but Miller contcndcd that the gmallc
states had a disprupOrtiOnatCiy large
representation in the senate and that his
scheme would secure a more equitable
representation. The other three speakers
directed their arguments gcncrallytO the
broad question Of the ACCESSIBILITY of the
election of senators by a direct vote Of
the people rather than by the present
| methods ard then more specifically to
points in favor OF the means proposed
by them To bring this about. They said
the present method enabled me-. to be
elected TO the senate. who could not be
elected by IA popular vote and who did
not reflect the sentiments Of their people.
Corporate influences, il Was urged. were
Il potent factor in the election of senators
by legislatures. Attention was called to
the frequency OF charges Of corruption
and bribery made during and subsequent
to elections Of United States senators.
Enloc Of Tennessee said that while the
Investigations which had been made into
charges Of corruption IN the election of
senators had generally been fruitless, yet
there was no doubt in the minds of think
ing and reading men the belief hat there
was a substantial foundation for the
charges in many instances.
Powers Of Vermont asked EnlOc if pop
ular elections might not result in the
sending of less able men to the senate,
and if the present method did not secure
the services Of men of ability who per
haps could not be induced to take part
in a political contest such as was incident
to elections.
Enloe said it might possibly occur oc-
caSiOnally, as it sometimes did in all pub
lie elections. that men Of inferior capac
ity might be chosen ty the senate, but
that the country would suffer less to
have a fool in the senate for six years
than to have a corrupt s%coundrel.
The three constitutional amendments
offered by Bryan of Nebraska, En-
loe of Tennessee and johnson of North
Dakota differ in this, that Bryan's
amendment proposes that senators shall
be elected by a direct vote only in such
states as through their proper Legislative
machinery they decide to elect senators
in this manner, while Enlore and John
Sol propose that the new method shall
be compulsory as to all the states on the
adoption of the proposed amendment.
Bryan said the argument in favor of the
adoption of his amendment was that the
prospects OF it's adoption were greater
than il it made the change compulsory.
The states which did not care themselves
to change their method of election OF
United States senators might be will
ing to agree to an amendment which
would give to such states as
preferred that method the right to elect
senators by a direct popular vote.
Friends of the amendment believed that
the result of the election Of senators by
a direct vote would be such as to popu-
larize 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 a compulsory amendment, while not