The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-18
Washing ton Bureau st. Paul Globe,
C0rc0rdn Building.

Special to The St. Paul Globe.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE pro-
portions of the house majority in favor
Of a change in the method of electing
United States senator's Is the signifo Int
feature Of this weeks congressional
diversion into the fields of constitution
trimming. The vote stood 1874 to II,
with ten answering present" 1t may
be. assumed that those who answered
present" like many who refrained
from voting altogether, did so because
they were not entirely clear as to the
merits Of the question. But of those
who had reached a conclusion on
question which has been so long be-
fore the American people, and was SO
much debated in the convention which
framed the constitution itself, the mega
tive vote of only eleven, Is, when
analysed, very significant. Four Of it's
members, Hill, Henry, Russell and
Sperry, represent the state of Conn scti-
cut, where, for the greater part Of the
time since the war, the Republicans
have owed the possession Of senator
ships to the peculiar basis upon which
the state legislature Is made up Mr..
Cummings, of New York, asserted dur
ing the debate, that the little town of
Union in Connecticut, containing 112
voters, was entitled under the constitu-
ton to two assemblymen, while the city
of New Haven, with more than 100000
inhabitants, is allowed only the same
number. No Connecticut man, so far
as the Congressional Record shows,
challenged this statement.
In the old division Of parties, before
the rise of the free silver issue, a ma
jority Of the voters Of Connecticut were
usually Democrats, but through this
system Of making up assemblies, the
governorship, which went to the legis-
lature in case no candidate at the polls
senatorship, fell to Republicans The
argument Of self-preservation, there-
fore, would be very strong with Con-
necticut Republicans in inducing them
to stand by the old system Of choosing
senators by the legislature. Three
more Of the eleven were Republicans
from another state, where, under the
old party algnments, much the same
condition existed. Hurley, Odell and
Low, of New York. The other four, 1t
may be assumed voted strictly on the
merits of the question. The 1874 con-
gressmen who went on record against
them as in favor Of the direct election
Of senators included such solid men as
Dingley, Dalzell, Dockery and Charles
w. Stone. It therefore appears that
the thoughtful sentiment Of congress is
overwhelmingly in favor Of the change.
PROPOSITION NOT NEW.
And yet no one supposes that the
senate will for a moment consider 1t
favorably. That the senate will even
take it up is extremely doubtful. The
ca r1rn I>o
fore been sent to that body and been
allowed to enjoy the slumber of the
just Two forces in the senate, and to
certain extent among the outside pub
lie unite to defeat such a proposition,
and they constitute very strong COM
bination. This partnership Is one be-
tween the people constitutionally very
conservative and the political "rascals."
The former oppose the change because
of their sentimental attachment for the
constitution. Their partners in the
senate, on the other hand, favor the
present system because by no other
could they have even become members
Of that body. 1t would be very I'M
grateful for Mr.. Plat and Mr.. Murphy
to vote to strike down the constitution
al proviso which alone has made their
presence in the senate possible. Senti-
mental generation on the one hand,
and political utilities on the other can
easily command thirty votes in the
United States senate, and hence prevent
the necessary two-thirds majority.
It would be unjust, however to the
advocates of the change to represent
them as lacking in sentimental regard
for the constitution Of the United
States. Judge Powers, of Vermont one
of the most substantial men of the
house, in his advocacy Of the change,
said: I'VE should go very slow in max
N q n yncs In ftok
am 80 constituted myself that at the
start I should oppose almost every
| proposition to change the constitution.
| But here Is a change which presents
itself strongly in view Of the pactical
ard admitted evils that appear to all of
our people; and when such a PROPOSE
| ton as this Is presented for the consid-
GRAFTON of this body I feel justified In
going somewhat further than I other
! wise would in making a change in that
| instrument
| MIR. Capron, of Rhode Island. also
speaking on the same side Of the aues-
ton said: L agree with my colleague
tnat IT IS unwise to tinker with the con-
| stitution of the United States. but I
am always glad to refer in this con-
nection to the preamble of the constitu-
ton of my state. The constitution
commences with these words In the
words of the Father Of His Country.
! we declare that the basis of our Do.
ntical system is the right of the people
to make and to alter their constitution
OF government When we recall the
history Of our constitution we all know
that It was a matter of compromise.
that pennsylvania and Virginia at that
time agreed in the belief that the
United States senators should be elected
| directly by the people. A hundred
years has led very many Of the states
to vote that this was right, and today.
( II this question was submitted to the
people, there is not state in the Union
put would decide to allow the people
thus to vote directly upon the election
OF the United States senators.
| EVILS THAT EXIST.
There Is a chapter in Carlyle's Past
! and Present" entitled '.Morrison,s
! PILL" which is appropriate reading In