Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-10-13

be.lse of representatives that a con-
s+;+ntiongl amendment be submitted
r. the legislatures Of the various
e+ates making the electl~n OF the
United States senators by the popular
VITO new article in the constitution.
The senate is not in hurry to agree
with the lower house Of congress on
the question of submission OF such an
amendment.
Nobody suspects that the senate
favors the election of its members by
n~oular vote. There isn't any reason
fer suspecting any such thing. Ihe
senate is a conservative body.
This very conservatism, however,
,,hich forms an acknowledged ele-
mont in The general character of the
senate. makes it all the easier for the
neonle to secure the submission to
their state legislatures of a constltu-
+i.aa1 amendment Of the kind in ques-
ton It is possible for the different
states to hasten the acceptance by
the senate of the resolution passed by
tho lower house of congress and at
the present awaiting the decision OF
the INNER one, by simply demanding
Federal constitutional convention.
Anytbing agreed upon by such body
cen he incorporated in the constitu-
sAion as an article, provided sufficient
Ex\,r,her of states assent to the constr
IN Aoaal change or revision thereby
ITronosed to be effected. The senate
wo,1Id not care for the convenlns OF q
Federal constitutional convention, and
4 void choose the lesser OF two evils
NV nassipg the house of representa-
t;yes, resolution and thus submitting
ta the legislatures Of the states an
I amendment in favor of popular cleo
tion of United States senators.
4 Here is where the states have the
81 vhin.hand of congress, for if So many
u of them insist upon it congress has
N M choice but to call Federal const-
# tutional convention.
# When At the next session OF cen
# eress. therefore. the senate fails, as eX-
Injected. to pass the resolution submit
a@ting the proposed amendment to the
as a whole, the latter can har-
# ass the senate by sufficiently con
certed action into compliance with
4 the n tional will. as pets aified by the
house of representatives.
This important movement, Whlch
has for its goal such radical change
n the present system of choosing the
>ersonnel of the higher legislative
|ody of the United States, suggests
II once the VIII ,e Guest on Of the SEN
Ste's eXistence-the why and where
l1ble of our having two Federal legisla-
We houses. At fist glance the thing
eems an anomanly-that we should
i've established two law-making bod
5. doing the same work twice over.
lY system of dual houses is readily
planned. h wever: we modelled our
ngress on the English parliament,
a bch had tt house of commons and
Duse of lojds because England was
country with sharply defined classes,
:. tlonal legislature. We had not any
= ch go@ reason for ere ting our
"'' pgfess on the two-headed plan, be
hse our republic had but one so
class, yet we did it none the less,
M no better reason than taat we
~, med to think it wise to follow the
nipple es the mother county, from
W ch We had cut loose. And yet,
rev We copied or continued the Ems
example as set in the case Of her
lied American colonies, we should
AN made our congress body with
- "A chamber only. Such was the plan
pnstituton of the old colonial as
pies, as is was of the original
utlonary congress.
May IA, 1887. two plans We're
~ psed before the national conVen-
Y which settled the details of the
: tuition.
i'm II these plans favored con-
with two houses; another
81 as the Patterson proposal
,.;.o N "a Single chamber.
erson was delegate from New
and his plan was supported by
MN Franklin. Alexander Ham
>nt vas the strongest advocate of
a. aole-headed congress-he even
10 have United States Sena-
... yen ONCE for life He declared
kl peech that the English house
is noble institution, and that
;zh 's"s oa't'ss oa tss ns>'af ns>' Of
PWn and commons