The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-04-21
OLD GUARD FIGHTS
DIRECT ELECTION
Fate of Bill in Doubt as Op-
position Is Waging a
Merry Battle.

guard Republicans in the senate are
looking about for way to defeat
once more the Joint resolution passed
by the house last week providing for
constitutional amendment for the d.
rect election OF senators. They are
by no means certain that they can de-
feat the resolution again, but they in
tend to put forth their best efforts
with that end In view.
They have in mind to follow the
plan that worked 30 successfully at
the last congress. As the time for
vote on the resolution approached at
that session. they foresaw that the
resolution would pass IL II came to
vote in the form In which the commit
tee on privileges and elections had re-
ported II.
They decided that something must
be done to pull Democratic votes away
from the resolution. and SO they had
Senator Sutherland, of Utah. propose
and amendment which would retain
Paragrap 1, OF Section 4 OF Article
Of the Constitution under which con-
gress exercises supervision over the
election of senators.
II the committee on privileges and
elections to which the resolution pas
sed by the house has been referred
shall report 1t in the form in which 1t
passed the house, the Utah senator
viii again propose his amendment. II
this amendment shall be adopted, the
result may be the defeat Of the joint
A trw - he
cratic senators from the south. unless
they change their minds. will not sup
port n resolution for amendment un-
der which the senate would be depriv-
ed OF the right Of supervision over the
election OF senators. At the last SEES
sion the Republican senators were
nearly all in favor Of the Sutherland
amendment. Whether II can COM
mand the Republican strength in this
session that II commanded in the last
Ia aquestion about which senators who
have been looking into the situation
differ.
Should Vote Down Amendments
The sure way to put through the
Joint resolution would be for the Dem
ocrats and the insurgent Republicans
to vote down all proposed amend
mcnts and support the resolution in
the identical form in which 1t was pas
sed by the house. 1t may be that an
agreement to do this thing will be
brought about. without exception,
the insurgent Republicans are in IA
vor OF the direct election of senator's.
and yet some of them doubt the wis.
dom of the senate surrendering all au-
thority over the election of it's men,
bers. In this resolution as 1t was put
through the house of representatives
the doctrine Of state right is upheld
with respect to the senate and ignores.
as II had been on previous occasions
by the house. with respect to the
house.
II the amendment is finally ratified
In the form in which II has been put
through the house. congress will pre-
scribe the conditions under which
members of the house Of representa-
tives shall be elected, but the times.
places and manner of holding cleo
tions OF senators will be prescribed
In each state by the legislature Of
that state.
States Rights involved.
A significant feature OF the voting
In the house was that on the question
involving state rights the division was
strictly on party lines. the Democrats
unfolding the states and the Republi.
cans solidly affirming the superior
mower Of the federal government. The
Democrats won. of course. TIE Repub-
licans insist that the amendment in
It's present form would legalize seev-
eral Acknowledgement laws that have
been passed by southern states.
While the Republicans in the house
voted as unit to strike out the
clause depriving congress OF the pow.
err OF making or altering regulations
governing the election OF senators.
practically the entire minority sup
ported the resolution after the amend
ment had failed.
Some competent observers here
have an impression that the election
OF senators by direct vote of the peo-
pie Is still distant. They point out
that II the Democrats and the insur-