St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-02-01

time the judiciary committee to
which it was referred has attached
an amendment to the resolution
which will probably kill it without
the various senators declaring them
selves on the main question.
The amendment provides that the
times, places and manner of hold
ing elections for senators shall be
prescribed in each state by the leg
islature thereof, taking away from
congress its present right to alter or
make the regulations Of the
states. Many senators who would
favor direct vote for senators OPP
pose the resolution as amended be-
cause they do not believe congress
should give up this right 1t is ar
gued with some force that the var
ious states might adopt very differ
ent laws and regulations, even re-
fuse certain people the right to vote,
and without the power to alter or
make regulations congress could not
protect itself from members chosen
by fraud or other unjust means.
On the merits of the question as
to whether or not senators shall be
elected by direct vote those who adj
vocate the change seem to present
the better arguments. They state
that it will not change the plan of
our government because the state
will still be choosing the senator's,
tie only difference being the people
vote direct rather than through
agents; that under the present sys-
tenn legislators are often chosen
with respect to their attitude towards
senatorial candidates rather than up
on the legislative issues before the
state; that relieved of this duty
the state legislatures could begin
their legislative tasks without him
drance and work them out with more
regard to public sentiment; that the
charges of bribery and fraud are
more frequent and the danger of
these evils augmented by concentrate
ing the electorate into such small
bodies as the legislature; and that
the numerous deadlocks in 1egisla-
lures over the choice of senators
would no longer be possible.
The arguments against such a
change so far have been the
stock arguments that it would be
unwise to place the choice of senat-
ors in control of the popular will;
that we should not get the long ser
vice and advantages of experience
that we do under present conditions;
and that all the checks upon popular
will that have been placed there by
the founders of the government
should remain.
We feel that the dissatisfaction so
often shown with the senate is not
entirely caused by the method of
electing the senators but rather by
some questionable customs that have
been developed in that body. For
instance the refusal to limit debate
in the senate while theoretically de-
sirable has been so badly abused that
it's continuance is not altogether de-
sirabIe. Under this provision many
a measure has been talked to death
by a minority of the senators and in
defiance of the general popular de-
sire. But this is a rule of the SEN
ate that can be changed at any time
the members of the senate desire it..
Failure to change the rules and make
the senate a little more subject to
the popular mind may place that
body too much under popular con-
troll. Notwithstanding the strength
of the arguments in favor of the di-
rect election of senators we should
be better pleased to see the senate
change it's rules enough to enable
an undisputed majority of it's mem
bers to enact their will after a reas-
enable time for debate and deliber-
alton rather than change in the
method of electing the senators. If
it refuses to make any improvement
in it's rules it will increase the dan
ger of more radical changes when the
people refuse to tolerate it's customs
longer.
Wilson of Novr Tarcovv WON