The times., 1899-05-21
SUNDAY. MAY 81. 1899.
nr. Bryan ON senatorial Elections.

Mr.. Bryan ON Scnotoriai Elections.
In the National Watchman'' Mr.. Bryan
writes about the election Of United States
Senator's by popular vote. To Gen James
B. Weaver, Of Iowa. he gives credit for
Introducing the first resolution proposing
IN amendment to the Federal Constitution
providing for the election Of Senators BY
direct vote OF the people. Il was intro
1uced in the Forty sixth Congress in 1881.
and read as follows;
Rc-olygd by ihe serate ard iIorse e Repre-,
suizfivts cf the ritcd states OF America in
.'aiisIt..s assembled tisD-thirds oi each hsas.
.onelriiue therein). That iEe following !, hfreb.
proposed an amendment 70 tie Constitution ol
ihe nittd States. and when ratified by tae i.ee-
i-laimts Of ilr efaurilis ~ fle sevrra States si
hc valid 10 an inteHis and purposes a iasi ei
thr Constitution, io-wii:
That 40 much OF section tiiird. Article J. 81 the
Con. tiiiiion 81 tise riird SlHtss provides
thar ihe senators of tue 3irited States sial be
chosen g iic Lcgisstures thcTeof shall Dr. amend
ei 10 tisas th. -ame shah read as follcN r.
The Senate oi the nited States shall be- com
pus-d II two senators lfnn each state. TO hr
chosen by the yoies Of tie qualified electors in
said States respectively. ard al sHcii tiine Is
siall be determined by act of Coaers
Since the introduction Of this resolution
there has been steady growth of public
seniimen; in favor of the plan proposed.
In the Fifty-second Congress and again in
The Isifty-third. the House of Representa-
tires adopted resolutions favoriag the
amendment. and they eied in the Senate.
There can be nc doubt that if the plan
were submitted to the States for ratification
by far the greater number would approve
il
Mr.. Bryan goes into an analysis Il the
reasons suggested for the change. and
points out. in the first place. that popular
elections would make Senator more truly
representative Of the people for whom he
speaks THE democratic idea Of govern
meni. he says. lis that the representative
reflects the sentiments OF The sovereign
people. II, then. the Senator is the repre-
sentative OF the people. there is no reason
why he should not be the choice OF the
people If the voters have sufficient intel;
ligenee to choose a President, members oi
Congress, Governors. State Legislators. etc
they must be presumed to have sufficient
intelligence to elect United States sena-
tors
The remaining reasons advanced by Mr.
Bryan may be thus summarized: First
that the corporations can control the ac
tion of Legislatures much easier than the,
can popular elections; second. that TIT
present method OF electing Senators inter
feres seriously with State anairs in III,
delay of legislation; third. that when
Legislature adjourns without e!ecting. tn
State is deprived OF half OF It's senatoria
representation. the present year hsvln.
outstripped all predecessors in furnishing
four instances Of the kind. viz, Delaware
Pennsylvania, Utah and California; an
lastly. that If there we're no other reasol
for the change the scandals growing ou
OF senatorial elections would amply war
rant it. Says Mr.. Bryan on this point
The charge Of direct bribery IS made with il
creIsing ffequencs and indirect ferns Of briber
ar even more common. There j. doubt thi
sicccssiul candidates are sometimos uniustly col
oeilnesl. and That feeisa;css oliea The victim
o. gr0undieas accusation; huf purity in polite
l. Necessary and uprigitrgss IN public 0ttcia
- essential that cannot afford 10 continue
system which offers such excciieu' opp1rtnuili,
fue corruption and breeds qich widespread 81
pcion Probably the most common and in-idio'
fnrn 81 corruption j. that employed hy caud
dare- uh0 are either tl.enaseives wealthy or El
lave strong financial backing, and sho s-crrtl
furnish the campaign funds for legislative rahd
htte-, ana thus place them under pecuniary obi
sstiofl
1t is gratifying that so close a reasone
and so competent an observer as Mi
Bryan should take this view OF the cas-,
So fsr as this newspaper is concerned,
is heartily in favor OF the departure.