The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-10
UNNECESSARY LABOR.

\ convention, with two.thIrds of the
States represented, is to meet in Des
Moines, Iowa, this week, in the inter.
est of the proposed change in the
United States Constitution that will
make United States Senators elective
By the people instead of by the re-
spective State Legislatures. Apparent
" the enthusiasts have lost hope of
any effort TO secure by Congressional
initiative the amendment to the Nation
al Constitution which would formally
establish this change, The Senate re
fuses to agree to any resolution proPos'
ing such amendment TO the States, Ac'
cordingly, those active in this move
ment are pushing their idea on the al
ternative method of originating amend
ments TO the Federal Constitution, by
the concurrent action of two-thlrds Of
the States,
And yet. the need Of such an amend,
ment, even from the standpoint OF the
desirablity of the election of United
States Senators by the people, has
passed. IT has passed, Just as the need
for a Constitutional amendment allow
ing the people (and not the electoral col
legc of the Constitution to actually
elect the President and Fice-President,
has passed. The electoral college, es-
tsblished and intended as body of
free and unrestricted choice in the Sc
lection of the most desirable men for
those Offices, has become body Of no
originating volition whatever, but is
merely registering body, through
which the already expressed popular
will is carried out.
In like manner, twenty.four States
have already made the Legislative ac-
tion in the election of Senators merely
formal registration Of the popular
will already determined, The Legisla~
lures, instead of spending long and
weary struggles over the election Of
Senators. simply record the decision at
which the people have already arrived
and the work is done the law fully
fulfilled. The people, either at a State
primary or at the general election, vote
for the party candidates for United
States Senators, and the Legislature
formally elects the party choice.
II is perfectly easy and simple. Twen-
ty-four States already elect their Sen"
ators this way, and the number is year
ly increasing. Any State can so elect
whenever it chooses to do SO. The mat.
ter can be directed by State law, or
the people can carry it out without any
law ut all. In Utah, for instance, each
party Mt its State convention prior to
the time at which Senatorial term is
for Senator. If the Legislature is Re-
publican, the Republican candidate will
be elected formally by the Republican
Legislature; if Democratic, the Demo
cratic candidate will be formally elected
by the Democratic Legislature. Or,
the State can pass primary election
law, at which the candidates in each
case will be selected by the voters Of
the party, without having any conven-
tion action.
The whole matter is so perfectly easy
and simple for making the Senators
elective, that it is astonishing TO see
the persistence of the effort to have
the National Constitution amended for
that purpose. When the same object
precisely can be attained with ease,
certainty, and dispatch, either with
State legislation or without it, why
clamor for the amendment? Why keep
up a demand for change, when the same
thing is easily attainable without
changei