The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1906-12-14
They ALL favor IT
Des Moines Convention Unanimous
for Election of United States
Senators by Direct Vote.
PERMANENT ORGANIZATION
Thirty-Seven Legislatures VIII he
Asked This Winter to Demand
That Congress Call n COnsti-
tutfOnaI Convention.


Des Moines, Iowa, Dec. 1.-THE In
ter-state Senatorial amendment con-
ference before adjourning Thursday
completed a permanent organization
which will conduct campaign to Sc
cure from congress a call for consul
tutional convention to consider the
question of having senator's elected
by a direct vote of the people.
Thomas A. Cheshire of Des Moines
was named chairman Of an executive
committee of five to take charge OF
the movement His associates are
Thomas J. Herman of Louisiana, Frank
C. Cloudy of Colorado, w. r. Ellis OF
Oregon and C. M. Kimbrough OF In
diana
The work of the organization Will
be directed towards securing from the
81 state legislatures that meet this
winter, demands upon congress LOT
calling a constitutional convention to
which the conference unanimously
committed itself. The organization
will be known as THE Interstate
Senatorial Convention" Congress-
man Strobe of Nebraska is its first
president.
The conference committed Itself
only upon the specific senatorial cleo
ton amendment and prefers not to
have a constitutional convention. IL
congress acts and submits this spe-
cific amendment to the states, then
the convention will be dissolved.
The powers of the executive COM
mittee and the purposes OF the con-
vention were set forth as follows:
The executive committee shall call
to its assistance one or more OF the
delegates from each state and shall
prepare an address to the legislature
of each state that has not heretofore
acted on the subject, requesting the
adoption OF such resolutions as may
be presented from time to time by
this convention and to urge upon the
states Of Colorado, Florida, Idaho, IL
linois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Ken
lucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana,
Nebraska, Nevada. New Hampshire,
North Carolina, North Dakota, OHIO,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota,
Tennessee, Utah, Washington and
Wyoming which have already acted
to renew and continue their efforts
to the end that the election OF United
States senators by direct vote OF the
people may soon be an accomplished
fact.
The deliberations Of the conference
we're harmonious. Twelve states were
by 33 delegates.
After stating that there exists ana
has long existed popular demand
for the election OF United States SEN
ators by direct vote OF the people and
that II has been impossible to secure
the necessary action by Congress sub
hitting to the several states an amend
ment to that effect because OF the re-
fusal of the senate to, take the neces'
ssry action, the resolutions declare.
Be 1t therefore resolved: Ihat'
while this convention would much
prefer that congress should submit
to the several states proposed
amendment to the constitution for
the election OF senators by direct
vote of the people, so that the states
might pass upon it as single ques'
ton, yet, inasmuch as the senate per
sistently refuses to submit such
amendment, it therefore earnestly re-
commends that the legislatures Of the
several states do, in pursuance OF ar
ticle 4, of the constitution of the Uni
ted States, make application to the
congress to call a convention for the
purpose of proposing amendments
to the constitution Of the United
States.