The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-19
SENATORS ny POPULAR ELECTION

SEN3lohS B1 IOPl1sAR ELEJT1ON.
a joint resolution viii be introduced
In Congress to-day submitting for
ratification in the regular form a con-
stitutional amendment providing for
the election of United states Senators
by popular vote. The Constitution pre-
scribes the election of two Senator'S
from each State by the Legislatures
OF the States, the idea of the Founders
being that the Senator'S were TO rep
resent the States as political entities
or units in the Federal system. Their
election was not contingent upon popu-
lation, as in the case of the number
of members elected to the House of
Representatives There We're to be
two Senator'S from each State, without
regard to the population or wealth or
Industrial and commercial Importance
o! the state. 1t was a wise provision,
1t was thoroughly considered by
the men who made the Constitution,
and 1t has obtained to the present
time with great advantage. 10 the
country. There are now twice as
many Senator's as there are States in
the Union and, upon the basis OF
population. on which the members OF
the popular branch of the Congress are
chosen, this is not popular govern
ment.' The New York sun proposes
that there shall be only one Senator
from each State, and the proposition
is a good one if the idea of represen-
tation is to he followed in the making
up of both houses of the Legislative
branch of the Governments indeed, it
would be only fair to bunch the
smaller States which are not entitled
by their population to have even one
Senator and have Senators elected
from them in common While we
are about ii in our craze for what Is
called popular government" why not
go about it in a wholly honest way;
for, having destroyed the theory OF
The Senate in our system of govern
ment there is no good reason why wo
should have a Senate The Sun, which
is particularly clear in its view of tho
reasons and limitations of our Gov.
eminent. says:
The mode of appointment of SEN
ators provided by the makers of the
Constitution was carefully considered
BY the convention The result of the
deliberations plainly shows what the
Senate was intended TO be. Instead OF
attempting to harmonize the Senate
with the theory OF popular govern
ment embodied in the other branch,
the House of Representatives. the Con-
stitution makers did what they could
TO diferentiate the Senate from the
House, 10 render 1t less sensitive 10
public sentiment 1T was to be a check,
a balance wheel not a quickly rcspon-
hNe body The House was TO be pro-
portioned TO the relative size and
wealth and population of the states
The equal vote allowed TO the States
ia the. Senate was 10 be a recognition
of the sovereignty remaining in tho
states and an instrument for the pres
crvati6n Of II, This universally recog-
nlzed purpose has been explained by
every authoritative commentator on
the Constitution; it is unnecessary TO
enlarge the argument concerning 1T,
Three schemes were presented TO
the convention. One was for the cleo
tipn of Senator'S by popular vote and
'iiN shAAioltsLl u lilt ptpplt INTO Stlla-
torial districts This was rejected; 1t
was manifesuy inconsistent with the
purpose, of so organizing the Senate
that it would be essentially different
from the House of Representatives,
The second plan, known al the time as
the Virginia plan, Went SO far as to
propost that the. members of the Sen
ate should be elected by the House OF
Representatives, Nine States voted
against this plan one was divided, and
none was for It. The third plan, tina,
of election by the several legislatures
WAS adopted by the unanimous vote OF
The convention
~ ii is now thought desirable &c
abandon he original theory of tbs
senate's oreanization and 10 assimilate
that body TO the House by making It's
members directly responsible to the
people who elect them, why stop half
way in the movement 10 bring the SEN
ate into harmeny with The theory OF
popular government and ~ make /,