The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-03-01
u. S. SENATORS
THEIR ELECTION BY A DIRECT
VOTE OF THE PEOPLE.
The State Legislatures Have the Power
to Command the Senate-Sone
Objections Discussed.


State Legislatures now in session the
expediency of passing a joint resolution
making application to Congress for the
calling of a Constitutional Convention
for the purpose of submitting to the
people an amendment providing for the
election of United States Senators by
direct vote.
When thirty legislatures have adopt
ed such a resolution the convention
must be called. Thus the obstructive
tactics of the Senate, which year after
year has stubbornlyy refused to concur
with the House in . submitting the
amendment, will be defeated.
There is no argument against this re-
form that will bear examination.
The favorite objection is that, should
the people and not the legislatures elect
senators, the Senate would in some mys-
terious way cease to represent the SOW
ereignty of the states.
1t is evidently expected that this con-
tention will be peculiarly effective with
Democrats, because of the party's his
torical position as the upholder of state
rights. ~
The objection is groundless. The
manner in which senators are or may
be elected has nothing whatever to do
with the Senate's character, with its
place in our scheme Of government. No
matter how senators are chosen, the
constitutional right of each State to
equality of representation in the cham
Der can not be impaired.
There is, therefore, no reason why
any Democrat, as Democrat, should
be hostile to the change from election
by legislatures to election by the people.
On the contrary, the proposal is thor
oughly democratic, since it gives more
power to the people. -..
Neither would the change reduce the
dignity of the Senate. The notion that
lawmakers who owe their seats to a
method of choice which implies that the
people are unfit for the duty of select
ing them are somehow more ''dignihed'
than public servants elected at the polls
by popular vote is utterly un-American,
because it is essentially aristocratic.
Carry the notion to its logical length,
and we should possess hereditary Sem
as, supreme1y august for the reason
that the people had no hand in Great
ing it.
State rights Democrats and those Re-
publieans who believe in centralization
are at equal liberty to support the popu-
lar election reform, since it has not a
shadow of bearing upon state rights or
Capitalization.
Neither is it in any sense a party
question. =
1t is advocated by men of all parties,
and favored by an overwhelming ma
jority of the American people.
Why? -
Because experience has demonstrated
that the plan of electing senator's by the
legislatures is a failure, and worse than
a failure.
It has led to fragrant corruption.
It has deprived states for long periods
of representation in the Senate.
1t has lowered the quality of legisla-
lures by frequently making the election
of their members dependent not upon
fitness, but upon their willingnessg to
vote for some particular candidate for
the Senate.
It has produced bad state government
by causing contests which have taken
the minds of legislators away from the
affairs of their states.
It has made the senatorial Office less
the reward of merit than the prize of
ambitious and unscrupulous wealth.
It has enabled powerful corporations,
seeking to secure or retain unjust privi-
leges, to send men to the Senate as rep
resentatives of their private interests
and not of the interest of the states.
Election of senator's by direct vote
would make the Senate what it ought to
be-a body representing the people of
the several states.
It would enormously decrease the OPP
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