The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-03
Ir sHouLn FArL.

A good deal of interest .hasp plately been aroused bysths discussion of a propositionA & get, sn smendment to the redefak coasttsdtIcs authorizing the election of United States Senators by direct vote of the people instead Of by State Legislatures. Only a short while ago there was a sort of conveii- ton held at Dss Moines to consider the matter. and as we learn. the Gov ernors of thirty States had appointed delegates. but only twelve men met. This shows that the proposed innova- tion has not obtained very strong hold on the country at large.
 The Advertiser is free to say that 1t Is opposed to any change of this kind As should be well known. one of the most disturbing questions that came before the Convention which formed our nationsl ceRstitution was over the two different. theories of States Rights 'Snasa aFadsrsai1ms&Those who held to tns sllAsry wanted a government in whfcf State lines would have no part. while the others insisted and contended that the States should be represented as such in the Federal Congress. It is perfectly safe to say that there would have been no consti- tuition framed if the State Rights dele gates had failed in their contention. They would not have agreed to or sup ported an instrument that failed to re- gard the sovereignty of the States. It is a historical fact that as 1t was some of the States held back for a time and refused to ratify the acts of the Constitutional Convention because they feared too much power had been giv- en the government and not enough retained by the several States
 The constitution ,asrits now exists is a compact betwsen the states and rec ognizes theira separate existence. The proposition to change it is only anoth- CT move of the centralizationists to wipe out the States and to make the government more imperialistic than can be done as the Constitution now stands. Various efforts have been made by the advocates of strong gov srnment." to accomplish their eTas, and this is one of the latest, but it will, fall as it should do, for 1t is an inno- vation that is not needed and should not be desired.
 Various. objections are brought for ward against the present method of electing Senators. but all of them can he obviated without amending the Con- stitution for that express purpose. The primary plan now in force in Alabama and several other States is both satis- factory and conelpsive. At the gen sral election nsat Zbefore the assem- bling of the Legislature which has to elect a Senator the people can vote for their, choice for that office and the Legislature will be bound to elect that man, unless he dies in the meantime By that plan the people really select the man but the State elects him, just as the constitqtiep nov directs, s.aRdk there is no conflictHof authority. The State elects, but the people select. The will of the people is carried out. and the Federal Constitution sbeyed.7 ei
 Raeh State eafl- easily adopt aTsd 'cdf- ry out this plan, and it will be satisfac- tory. and will avoid the trouble and expense of. amending the Constitution What is more important. it will pre- serve the autonomy of the States as at present, and that is something that should be stoutly adhered to. Those who want the Constitution amended for this purpose would soon find some other cause for change. It has two or three more amendments fastened to 1t now than are good for the country. and this proposed one would be worse