The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-11
0EPEW'S WARNING
INV VIEW of POPULAR ELECTION
OF SENATORS.
AMENDMENT AIMED AT SOUTH.
,..or,n HAVE CONGRESS PROVIDE
FOR FULL VOTE.

- the senate Is to Be Made POpu-
lar Body, to Which He Objects,
- Depeyy Proposes That the EIec-
.iouS shall BE Popular I'm Fact as
ueu as in Name and That No
..cr.ndfather Clause Shall Shut
ont Any Voter-WOuld BE Unfair
% Give $4,000 Voters in MISSISSIPPI
-; EouaI Voice With 1,547 ,912 in
New York.
Washington, April 10.-Early in the
sesson of the Senate to-day Mr.. Depew
# New York spoke briefly against the
.dontion of the resolution providing for
tbe election of senators by popular
vote In effect he served notice on
those states which had limited their
suffrage that if the resolution was
enacted demand would be made upon
them to accord all their citizens the
right to vote, or suffer a loss of rep
resentativas in Congress. Mr.. Depew
offered an amendment to the resolu-
ton to provide for the election of
senator's by popular vote. The amend
ment was as follows:
THE qualification of citizens entitl-
ed to vote for United States senators
and representatives in Congress shall
be uniform in all the states. and
Congress shall have power to enforce
this article by appropriate legislation
aad to provide for the registration of
citizens entitled to vote, the conduct
of such elections and the certificate of
the result"
In part Mr.. Depew said:
The amendment under considera-
ton proposes to make the Senate a
popular body and reverse the princi-
pie upon which the government has
existed down to the present time.
With the adoption of such an amend
ment to the constitution, if it is adopt
ed, this addition which l offer to it is
the clear and logical sequence.
a number of states have by va
rious devices prevented third, or half
or more, of citizens, recognized as such
by the constitution of the United
States from exercising the right of
suffrage. The local reasons which
have led to the adoption of these
measures are not pertinent to this
discussion. The adoption of these
new constitutions in several states,
however, containing 'granfather' and
other clauses, has led to a movement
in the House or Representatives and
in the legislatures of some of the
the House of Representa- tives from
population to votes.
But if in the election of United
States senators a small oligarchy in
any state can send here a representa-
tive equal to that of great states like
New York, which have manhood suf-
rage; If states in which half of the
voters are disfranchised are to have
an equal voice in this body with states
Ike Pennsylvania, of five or ten times
their population and with manhood
Suffrage; if New York, which casts be-
cause of it's manhood suffrage 1,547, 912
votes, is to be neutralized in legislation
affecting her vast interests by Mis-
sssippi casting So, 900 votes because the
majority of her citizens are disfran-
cnlsed-then the situation becomes in
tOlerable.
He Is Not a South Halter.
1 am not, under ordinary circum-
stances and normal conditions, in favor
Of the proposed reduction of represent
auVes In the Southern states; am not
IN favor of any legislation by the gem
eral government which interferes with
tne local affairs of those common
Wealths; but if the door is opened by
he adoption of this amendment to the
constitution for the changing of the
character and constitution of the Sen
ale OF the United States, then that
measure must necessarily be accompan-
ied by power to insure a full and hon
est vote of the citizens of the repub-
NC and protect this body in the cleo
uoh of those who may be designated
mere as senator's
Mr. Depew was accorded the pro-
found attention of the Senate as he
spoke