The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-27
SHALL SENATOR'S BE ELECTED BY
POPULAR VOTE?

SHALL SENATOR'S BE ELECTED BY
POPULAR VOTE?
A. day or two back Senator Turple
presented to the Senate a communication
from the Governor OF California stating
that In accordance with resolution OF
CALIFORNIA; Legislature. at general cleo
ton held In that State last November, a
vote was had under an act to ascertain
the will Of the people of the State upon
the subject OF an election of United States
senator by vote OF the people instead
of as now by the Legislatures. He GER
titled that 1S7,9S7 votes were cast in favor
OF their election by the people to 1892
against II. This vote is very remarkable
as showing that the people Of California
are practically unanimous for elections
by direct vote of the people and, IL 1t
may fairly be taken as the sense of the
people of all the States, the change can
not be made too soon. We believe the
trend of popular opinion is strongly that
way. though California's vote may be
a little misleading. 1t has been her for
tune to have no senators but very rich
men, who are believed amongst her peo-
pie to have secured their elections by
free use of money with legislators. and
as she has felt the evils of the present
system in much larger degree than the
other States, so popular opinion there
may have outstripped opinion else
where.
1t cannot be doubted that a change of
the election of senators so as to make
them chosen by the people themselves
would be very great departure from ia
vorite dogma of the trainers and origi-
majors of our Government. a point which
they thought the most essential of all
to Its perpetuity and smooth working,
was the preservation Of the autonomy Of
the States, with positive and active In
fiuence Of the voice of the State itself,
in the operations Of the Government.
In furtherance Of this motion, II was
favorite idea that in the National Leg
islature the members of the House of
Representatives should be elected by the
people to thus represent the people d.
rectly. whilst the senators should be
elected by the Legislatures to thus repre-
sent the States themselves as contradis-
tinguishd from the people. The idea was
verp plausible and taking, but 1t has a
little of the fanciful, since the members
Of the Legislature represent the people
and the senator by their creation must
equally represent the people, only one
degree farther removed.
And now come the lessons Of experience
to show that a theory argumentatively
unsound has worked badly in practice. as
all such theories will. 1t is found that
the Legislatures, being small bodies of
men, can be operated upon by influences
that cannot be applied to the whole body
Of the people. and the consequence is
they frequently send to the Senate men
whom the people would never think of
sending there.
Notwithstanding the Importance which
the trainers of the Constitution attached
TO the idea that the senator's should be
elected by the Legislatures in order that
the States, as States, might be repre-
sented in the National Legislature. there
is much to justify the belief that the
change should be made, and that senators
should be elected by direct vote Of the
people themselves. This idea is growing
in general favor, because first 1t has been
shown by observation that rich men
T 10
and, second, because 1t is a broad prin-
ciple of Democracy that all representa-.
tives of the people shall be men whom
all the people have had full and free
opportunity TO express their preference
for or objection to. This is a principle
Of elementary justice. and nothing ever
goes wrong where that is the rule Of
conduct. No man dares to present him
self before all the people knowing that
there are blots in his record that can
not stand the light Of day. He knows
they will be brought out I'm their true
colors and he knows the people will not
vote for him when they are. He can be
"hugge through a Legislature,
DuL NDe0 he BOtS btAoit thS PNDDit
he must face his deeds as he has per-
formed them.
With rare exceptions. the State Of New
York has a judiciary that would do honor
to any State or people. 1t comes from
the fact that all the rldges are elected
by popular vote. The machine may drive
a Murphy through her Legislature, but
il cannot lead the people TO the polls
TO vote for a judge whom they distrust.
Having to go before all the people for
his election. no lawyer dares offer him
self as a candidate for judge If his re-
cord is not what a lawyers should be.
and the impression Is, therefore, gaining
ground that the trainers Of the Consti-
tuition made one error, and that 1t was
in respect to this matter. They may
rest in their graves In peace however.
for even the sun has spots on II.
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The action Of the little Khedive OF
Egypt in taking issue with the great Eng
oh hat ye,fOfctrX MATTER