The record-union., 1892-10-19
ELECTION OF SENATOR.
Why United States Senators Should
Be Chosen
BY Direct Vote of the People The
Question to be Voted on
November Sth.

famed at the election of November Sth as
to whether United States Senators should
be chosen by direct vote of the people.
The RECoRD-UNIoN advises that all
voters cast their ballots for the ahirma-
tive of the question, emphaticalIy yes.
The reasons for this judgment are
many and potential
The times and conditions are changed
and we no longer need to conserve the
sentiment that came down to us from
monarchical institutions, demanding
legislative house of semi-aristocratic
character.
In the convention that framed the Con-
as well as that which framed
the Articles of Confederation there was
much divergence of views respecting the
manner and methods of making the
selection, and the method finally
adopted was the result of compromise
between the different warning factions
over that question. 1t is not very sur
prising to Il student of history that our
fathers found il somewhat difficult to
harmonic their views.
AS Mr.. Powers of Vermont expressed
1t IN the House of Representatives on the
18th day of July last, speaking on the
the Constitution:
''As is well known, both conventions
were made up largely OF men coming
from the Old World, with different ira
ditions and different opinions as to gov
ernmental policy, and for that reason
when they were confronted with the bald
proposition that they were about franz
ing plan of government which should
be of the people, by the people, and for
the people, it would be difficult for the
Puritan IN New England, the Cavalier III
Virginia, and the Quaker in Pennsylya-
MIA to bring their minds to common
focal point whereby they could all act in
perfect harmony as to all Of the provi-
sionS which should be incorporated into
that fundamental law for the new nation.
And so it came about that the views Of
one portion OF the convention were
adopted in one part Of that instrument
and the views OF those that differed with
them were adopted in another part.
Asa result OF this conflict OF opinion we
find in the organic instrument itself a
very singular Observation-Disclosures in
the sense that people who were setting
up the framework of q government for
the people, to be carried on by the people
themselves, should have adopted it, The
election of Senators by the State Legisla-
lures is an anomaly in that instrument TO
be found in the Constitution OF a people
who were protesting a desire for the
enactment OF an instrument which should
plainly reflect the popular will. So that
the practical question comes TO us now,
has the time come when that anomaly,
thrust upon the system itself, may be
safely eliminated from our constitutional
law ?''
Mr.. Powers then went on to say that
the theory Of our Government is that the
Senators are representatives of the States
gCr nnl .
ton that the whole people shall partici-
pate in the election of Senators is wise.
Without it "gerrymander' might be
worked to elect Senator i'll defiance of
the popular will.
'If," said he, 1--WE can trust the choice of
local Legislatures to the voters of the
States, what fear need we have Of them
when Senators are to be chosen?
There are national rights and there are
State rights, differing as the stars do in
glory, and each well defined, and. within
its constitutional scope, supreme and ON
nipotent.
E'Between the two there is no ground
for conflict, and among patriotic men
there should be no ground tor jealousy.
AS nation we are one people-homo-
geneous in our purposes, in our aspira-
tions and in our destiny.
The National Legislature is the repre-
sentative body of the whole people in the
nation charged with the high duty of ac-
complishing the greatest attainable good
for the people Of the nation as a whole.
rather than OF sections Of the people as n
part of the whole. The National Lepis-
lature, therefore, cannot be shorn of its
power to preserve its delegated functions
and exercise its constitutional right to
exist in manner and form as the organic
law has prescribed.
''On the other hand, while as a whole
are many as separate States, and among
ourselves each State has an independent
existence. Each is sovereign in itself
and independent, within constitutional
law, of every other and of the General
Government itself. The National Cow
ernment has no more power to trench
upon the reserved rights of the States
than the States have to invade the dele
gated power of the Nation. The States
are the stars in a constellation. The Ma
ton is a constellation in ornament. and
both can be held in their proper orbit
only by the intelligent accord Of a patri-
otIc people.
1.-The very composition Of the State
Legislature, as it seems to me, renders it
a tribunal less likely to reflect the popu-
lar will than a plan by which this cleo
ton of Senators could be made by a direct
vote of the people. The State Legislature
is ordinarily, or oftentimes at all events,
brought together by the stress of local
questions. The fact that Senatorial
election is pending before it is of little
importance ordinarily. But many mem
bers of the Legislature are elected to
charter railroad company, or banking
institution, or discharge some other func-
ton of local interest, and the Senatorial
question is practically lost sight of. So
that the Legislature may not, and in
many cases likely does not, reflect the
popular wish on this question.
Now, we have had in our ex perience as
a nation several instances in which Sena-
tors have actually been chosen by the
popular vote, although elected by the
Legislatures, and the working of the sys-
tem has been manifest. Take for in
stance the great debate between Stephen
A. Douglas and \ Abraham Lincoln in Illi-
nois, in 1888, probably the most noted
political discussion which has occurred
in century. In that election, although
Mr.. Douglas triumphed, it is a we'll
known historical fact that Mr.. Lincoln
carried a substantial majority of the
popular vote with him.
$50 that if the question had been sub
mitted to direct vote of the people. Mr..
Lincoln would have been the Senator
instead of Mr.. Douglas. That incident
illustrates the fact that although men do
come before the people, and the Legisla-
ture is presumed to be elected in their
interest or against them, nevertheless
you can not get SO accurately an express
sion of the popular wish as you can if
you submit this question directly to the
people.
Again, the composition of the State
Legislatures Is such in many cases that
its vote comes far short of rejecting the
will of the people behind it.
Take the State of Vermont as an ex-
ample. The Senate is chosen by the
voters of the counties. 1t has thirty
members in all. We have fourteen coun-
ties and each county is entitled to a Sena-
tor. The remaining sixteen Senators are
a1nInrtiaIlal tho nnur1tins II,