The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-25
RENDERED GOOD SERVICE.

Senator Clark OF Montana has already
rendered more valuable public service
than he is ever likely to render du ing
the entire period of his SERVES IN tie
United States senate, even if he were to
retain his membership in that body for
the balance of his days. He has cone
more than any other public man, ma
tor Quay perhaps alone exc. ted, to call
into existence the condition of pubic
sentiment necessary to br, ak.ng up the
present Anticipated and corrupt, on-breed-
ing method of eleeting members of the
body to which he now belongs
Those who have been publicly advo-
eating the popular election OF United
States senators for many years past
have seen more progress made within
the past year in the direction of the
successful application Of their views than
in all the years that have gone. It has
not mattered that the rec -sary reso,u-
ton looking to the SUBMITS on of an
amendment to the federal constitution
has from time to time within the past
twenty years passed one or cthet of
the two houses of congress. Tie posst
bility of it's adoption has never existed
since the opening Of the period during
which the senatorships have been recog-
nized. as being set up by legislatures to
the highest money bidder.
In the present condition of public feel
Ing there is a certainty that thirty states
will this year pass the necessary joint
resolution recommending the submission
of the necessary constitutional amend
ment. Such action congress cannot 1g-
more if it would. If the present senate
chooses to ignore the public mandate in
this regard it may do so Of course. But
the senator who is seen voting against
the proposition will have an awakened
constituency to deal with.
OF far greater moment is it that the
senators who have recently been elect
ed have in the majority of cases been
asked to commit themselves beforehand
to favorable action on submitting the
necessary constitutional amendment
There are two methods of securing such
amendment provided by the constitution,
the enc through con stitutlc nal coaveni rs
to be held in the several states; the other
by the proposal by congress of the nee
essary amendment, which becomes eff
fective when ratified by the legislatures
of three-fourths of the states Of these
the latter method is the one in general
vogue and is the one most likely to be
adopted. Many more than three-fourths
Of the states of the Union are in favor Of
the amendment. Their present Iegisla-
lures have shown themselves ready to
respond to the public demand. What Is
true today is certain to be true in the
immediate future. So that the chief OBJ
stacle in the path of the adoption of
the necessary amendment is today the
action of the United States senate itself.
We are about to enter upon a period
of political reform. The successful inau-
guration Of the new primary method
must inevitably lead to the further SIM
plificat,on of political processes. Before
the next congress goes out of existence,
if the agitation is maintained, there is
little or no doubt but that the necessary
amendment making the United States
senators elective by the popular vote will
have been embodied in the federal consti-
tuition.