The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-24
ELECTION OF SENATORS.

Word comes from Washington that
George e. Foss, one of the Illinois
representatives in congress, is going
to be the Moses to lead the way for
fight at the coming session of con-
gress on the proposition to amend
the federal constitution so that United
States senators shall be elected by the
direct vote of the people of the re-
spective states. That he will be sue
cessful is to be sincerely hoped
but the matter is one for grave doubts
inasmuch as the attitude of major
ity of the present senators is strong
ly opposed to a change in the method
of electing men to the upper branch
of congress.
1t is safe to say that the sentiment
of the people the country over is ov-
erwhelmingly in favor of this change.
The legislatures of thirty-one of the
states of the union have urged it by
resolutions and Mr.. Foss rightly be-
lieves that this of itself should be suf-
ficient to force congress to take the
steps which will submit this question
to the people, through their legisla-
lures, for final determination. AL
though the constitution asserts that it
shall be amended on the demand of
two-thirds of the states, it does not
make any provision for bringing this
about except through the usual meth
cd of congressional procedure for the
making of constitutional amendments.
So really the action of the states in
this matter is of little real weight ex-
cept as to the moral force it lends to
the movement. That should be suf-
Aofn oh n CT n n
ton.
There are some who argue that this
election of United States senators by
the people will be an assault on the
fine old system of government which
the constitution established. But this
argument is only forceful as to de-
tail. In specifying that there shall
only be two senators from each of the
states in the union the constitutional
trainers accomplished a master stroke
which gives each of the states rela-
lively the same power in the legisla-
tive affairs of the nation in their fin
al stages. There is no disposition to
attack this policy and in all probable
ity the method of electing senators by
the state legislatures was the best
method that could be employed in the
days when this government was estab-
lished. Surely a plan to merely change
the method of election of these SEN
ators is not much of a serious attack
on the form of government which the
nation enjoys.
But popular government was pretty
much of an untried experiment when
the United States was esta blished.
Time has shown that the more popu-
lar and more direct it is made the
better are the conditions which main
tain. And it is not going too far to
say that the congress of the nation
will never be as responsive to the will
of the people as it should be until
United States senators are elected in
the same fashion as are the members
of the house of Representatives This
explains why the members of the lat
ter body are decidedly more favorable
to the plan for the direct election Of
the senators than are the present
members of the senate. They know
what the people want. If this propo-
sition is not acted on favorably by
congress. each individual state,
sooner or later. and most of them
sooner, will adopt the system of NOM
mating senatorial candidates at pri-
maries as Kansas and a few other
states now do. This is an excellent
subterfuge for accomplishing the end
desired. but it should not be neces-
sary for the people of any state to
have to work out a way to circum-
vent the constitution in such an i'm
portant particular. Congress should
respond to their desires in the pre-
misses and open the way for the
amendment of the constitution in this
essential detail. If the coming con-
gress does not take advantage of its
opportunities in this respect some fu-
ture congress will and the men who
finally bring this matter about will rot
be without great honor in their own
| lands.