The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-06-16
POPULAR ELECTION
FOR SENATORS
MEASURE PASSES UPPER HOUSE
OF CONGRESS BY VOTE
OF GA TO "a.
Federal Supervision Proviso Gets
Through by the Aid Of the Vice Pres
ident's Deciding vote-Text Of the
Resolution as Finally Passed-The
House May Reject Amendment.

WdSuluSIOu, june LIZ nc 0OAAeAe0
tonight, by "a to "a, passed the reso-
luton amending the constitution to
provide for the election of senators
by direct vote. The Bristow amend
ment. giving to the federal government
supervision of such elections was
adopted As to "A, the vice president
casting the deciding ballot. The house
already has passed the resolution.
Senator Reed of Missouri protested
against the vice president casting his
deciding vote.
An amendment by Senator Bacon, in
qualifying the Bristow amendment to
prohibit federal supervision of election
unless the state legislature. refused or
failed to act, was defeated, As to 43.
The resolution, as amended. was then
finally adopted ga to "a.
While supporting the general propo-
sition for the election of senator's, Sen
ator McCumber of North Dakota, in
the debate preceding the vote. contend
ed that it's enactment into law would
not prove panacea for all the ills of
the flesh. 1--WE cannot" he said,
blind ourselves to the fact that with
the primary election system has grown
the practice on the part of the candi-
dates of establishing and purchasing
papers by wholesale and retail, with no
loftier motive in view than that of de-
stroying their opponents by political
libel and falsehOOds."
Shenator Borah advocated the adOp-
ton of the resolution as it passed the
house. He thought the rejection OF
the Bristow amendment would be in
the interest of favorable action by the
states.
The resolution as amended and pass
ed follows:
THAT in lieu of the first paragraph
of section of article of the constitu-
ton of the United States, and in lieu
of so much of paragraph of the same
section as relates to the filling of va
cancies, the following be proposed as
an amendment to the constitution,
which shall be valid to all intents and
purposes on the part of the constitu-
ton when ratified by the legislatures
of hree-fourths of the states:
People Elect.
'The senate of the United States
shall be composed of two senators
from each state, elected by the people
thereof, for six years; and each SEN
ator shall have one vote. The electors
in each state shall have the qualifica-
ton requisite for electors of the most
numerous branch of the state legisla-
lures.
when vacancies happen in the rep
resentation of any state in the senate,
the executive authority of such state
shall issue writs of election to fill such
vacancies; provided, that the legisla-
ture of any state may empower the ex-
ecutive thereof to make temporary ap-
pointments until the people fill the va
cancies by election as the legislature
may direct.
"This amendment shall not be so
construed as to affect the election or
term of any senator chosen before it
becomes valid as part of the constitu-
ton"
The amended resolution now will go
into conference between the senate
and house, and some senators predict
ed that the house would refuse to &C.
cept it.