Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-10-13
ELECTION OF SENATORS
By Popular Vote question the Two
Houses Fail to Agree Upon.

tation in congress should give each
state the same degree II representa-
ton; that no inequality OF size, popu-
lation or wealth should cut any figure
in the distribution of the congression-
al seats. Every single state should be
equal in this respect, with all the
others, on the simple ground that a
state is a state. But the big states
couldn't see this at all, and the scheme
of confederation almost fell through
on this very point in the debate which
followed.
Finally a congress of twG' houses
waa agreed upon. but state representa-
tion in the lower one w2s based on
population; that in the upper was to
be uniform rate of two United
States senatcrs to every state So the
status of each individual state was
in the end recognized as equal with all
the rest, 50 far as the senate was and
is now concerned, because if they have
full equality in either branch # con-
gress they each and all have an equal
influence in the regulating of legisla-
ton. The arrangement, in fact, was
a compromise not based on good sense
as parliamentary representation in
any country can be equitably based
only according to the population in
the various sections from which the
representatives a.e elected.
The United States senate was mere
~ a compromise And it's creators
proceeded to invest it with special
duties and powers which the lcWer
house might just as nationally have
been giVen-the revision of foreign
t.eaties and presidential appointments
and constituted trial court for i'm.
peachment cases These dignities
were supposed to have been confer
red upon the senate because it was
ostensibly the b@dy representative of
state autonomy.
When the FEDERAL convention sub
mitted its constitution the states OBJ
jected strenuously to it. in several in
stances. The state votes on it's final
adoption in some cases ran remark
ably close. 1t was narrowly saved
from defeat in Massachusetts,, Wiz
gina and New York.
The trainers of this constitution
which sought t., create a senate of
grave and reverend signors, entirely
above the ruck of ordinary politics, of
course failed in their purpose. since
today the selection of United States
senators has been constantly a source
# scandal, whether the same be based
upon the truth or otherwise.
There is constant controversy and
wire-pulling over the choice of sena-
tors Successful candidates are charg-
ed periodic ally with having bought
f'eir places from the legislatures Of
tleir respective states.
The demand of today for the popu-
lar election of United States senators
might be supported by the contention
that as the senate was originally crea-
ted to represent the states as states,
its functions should be limited to such
questions as affect state status only,
and tha. it should have no voice in
every day legislation at all 1t might
be claimed that popular election
would secure a better class of sena-
toys. and bar out ricn nobodies. In
any event if the liulits of It's julisdc-
ton Wee to be reset as above, the
change would remove TIE inequality
tho senate in its. pNesent scope exem-
plifies between the senatorial legisla-
tive voice in general questions-of
states like Rhode Island and New
York respectively.