The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-16

/ In each Sta,r snail have lt" qualifications rr1ut
site spr electors - ll- nH,. aumeroIs hranch ~
| the STATE Legislature Nu p~r,On >aali he a sen
a,or Who ,hau no, have l,tAned to The age oi
thirty year anil h-~n nine wear, a citizen % tho
United Stats anil Or" shall Ho, when eler'rd,
be an lnhabl taEg q ina, STATE from ~hIrh he shall
f he chosen senate, ,haII he apportIonci among
tho several Srl'-> %, nearly posS HE according
to their respective 'rp"r> At the last preceding
suumcrs,l,n %, tnrari'rnt, but each state shall
have at lrs,i ono S"rt'or congress mas q, any
time hy law m.k- ur Alter regulations A. tn the
times. plNcr, snI manner oi holding elections for
Senators
II will h" noticed that IN" foregoing
experimental draft # a constitutional
amendment ,ontrmplatcs "A moditi,a a.
senators but Also Ia some extent 81 the
representative ohara' ter If tho senate.
Need We point out that the two changes
belong together. and Justify each other
r""ipr"' ally in any logical and phllo-
sophi,al attempt In bring ia. senate
government and 10 make il more r.>pon-
sINe To pubic sentiment
The old theory Of m. Scnar" and the
old view of its usefulness as a rart Of
our system of government emphasized
those features which distinguish IL from
the other houses Of Congress. so long
known as IN. popular branch. These
distinctions the new theory Of popular
representation IN tn" United States
Senate seeks Ia minimize. II seems to
Us proper that the full extent OF the
constitutional change demanded by Mr..
BRYAN and demanded even to-day IN
contemporary platforms of the D"moc-
raCy should be- recognized clearly AT the
very start W. have drawn our amend
ment accordingly.
The mode of appointment of Senator's
provided by the makers "f IN" Consti-
tuition was carefully considered by the
convention. The result OF the delibcra-
tons plainly shows what the Senate was
TO be Instead of attempting
tn harmonic the Senate with the theory
If popular government embodied IN the
other branch. the House of Representa-
I, hey could TO diffcrentiate the Senate
from the House. to render il less sensi-
tive 10 public sentiment. IL was TO bs
a check. a balance wheel, not "A quickly :
body The House was TO br .
TO the relative siz" and
wealth and population of the States. /
The equal vot. allowed To the States in
h. S.nat" was TO h. rscognIt ion of he .
remaining IN the States and
an instrument for the preservation OF II. .
Thus universally recognized purpos" has /
Deen explained nv every authoritative .
on the Constitution; ~ IL
to enlarge the argument
II.
Three schemes were presented 10 the
One was for the election
II Senators by popular vote and the
iivision OF the p"Opl" into Senatorial
iistricts This was rejected, 1t was
nanli"stlv inconsistent with the pur-
pose OF 80 organizing m" S"nat" that II +.
would IL. essentially different from the.
House of Representatives. The second
plan. known at the time as TN. Virginia
Dlan. went so far n TO propo-. that the
members OF the senate should be elected
" h. Hous.' OF Representatives. Nine
states voted against this plan, on" Was
divided. and non" was Tor II Tn" third
llan. that of election bv the several
legislatures, was adopted by III" unani-
nous vo,,. of IN. convention.
II II - now thought desirable TO aban-
lon the original theory OF IN" Senat"
!. ganl/at on and 20 as-imIat" that body
% the HOUSE BY maxim it, members
iire"tly responsible 10 the people who
l,.ct them why stop half way in the
nov "mrnt to bring IN" ~"hat" into har-
nOny with thu. theory al popular GOV
and TO max" II NOR" quickly
esponSiy" 10 publ" opinion Let IN"
amendment which shall
20 To IN" states tor ratification present
ne question of popular representation
long with that OF popular election. II
vii ~. observed that IN our suggested
orm OF amendment. IN Its prov isIon for
hr aipurtIpnmcut "i senators accord
NJ - the SIZE nf tho ppplIl Ir vot" elect
~ them We have preserved in som"
ere" ~" idea &c ~tIt"hrDd by giving ,
VERY state. no matter how small. at
'a-t one I'opr.lhrlv "i".ted Senator. :
lii j. already ~" minimum IN the CaL-c
I = Sr,t", Representatives,
Thus IN ~" matter oil popular repre- a
rntdtIon N ia" S"nlt. the great States :
srlIld com" TO thcir own