Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-07-01
Election of United States Senators.


The law Of the United States providing
for the election Of United States senators
IL comprehensive in its requirements. IL
provides for the election of senators for
full terms and - fill any sort Of vacancy
that may occur, or. as Senator HILL. OF
Georgia, once interpreted the constitu-
tional requirements, that may happen to
occur" And vet under this law tho
Legislature of Louisiana has for long
time been trying in vain TO elect United
States senator TO represent that State. The
members have become disguised with
their failure 10 succeed in performing so
simple daty, and have determined, so it
IL said. to go every day through the forms
prescribed by the national law on the sub
ject, but not try TO elect United states
senator at this term of the Legislature.
However. the Legislature has passed a
resolution asking the Louisiana Senators
and Representatives in Congress to urge
an amendment to the Federal Constitu-
ton providing that United States senators
shall be elected by direct vote of the
people.
The United States Senate has been de-
clared to be q body Of millionaires. We
suppose the statement is true rs to ma
Jority of the senators. However, as old
JOE Brown once said 30 a reporter WHO
questioned him upon the point under con-
sideratlon, "a million of dollars is a good
deal of money" Virginia certainly cam
not be charged with having millionaire
United States senators.
There is now pending in the national
House of Representatives a joint resolu-
ton proposing an amendment TO the
Federal Constitution providing that
United States senators shall be elected by
the people of tho several States. 1t was
reported on the 10th of February last by
Mr.. TUCKER, of Virginia, and referred to
che House calendar and ordered TO be
printed. That resolution proposes to
make the Constitution read rs follows:
"The Senate of the United States shall be
composed Of two senators from each State,
elected by the people thereof for six years, and
each senator shall have one vote"
The Joint resolution also proposes that the
qualifications of electors of United States
senators shall bo the same as those for
representatives i'll Congress. 1t also pro-
poses 10 abrogate Article l.. sections. clause
4, of the Federal Constitution so far as it
gives to Congress any control, absolute or
remote and contingent, over the election
of United States senator's, and make that
clause read as follows
"The times, places, and manner OF holding
elections for senators shall be ~ prescribed in
each State by the Legislature thereof"
There Is no danger that the State legis-
Iatures will fail to provide for the election
of United States senators; but this appre-
hension will be urged as an objection to
the proposed amendment, and will pro-
badly have the effect of defeating it. II
would be we'll to have two joint resolu-
tions. each one proposing one of the
amendments favored by Mr.. TUcKER's
committee. Three fourths of the State
legislatures might be in favor Of the
election Of United States senators by the
people and yet opposed to the other sug-
gested amendment which we have Just
quoted.
A United States Senate elected 10y the
people would be very different body
from the present Senate. 1t would be in
peculiar sense the guardian of the peo-
pies rights.