Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-04-14
Republicans Voice Protests, but
Many Vote for The Bill.
Democratic Canadian Reclpruci-
y Bill Reported 70 House.
Champ Clark to Inysstlgats the
Cost Of Government.

Washington. April 13.-The House
of Representatives by vote of 296
to 16, early this evening adopted the
Rucker resolution proposing a con-
stitutional amendment for the direct
election of United States senator's
This is the first measure on the Dem
ocratie program to pass the House
Backed by the full Democratic
strength. it went through without
modification and with spec that
brought protests from the Republicans
The resolution, reported out of the
Senate judiciary committee in the
closing days of the last Congress. Re-
publican opposition to the Rucker
resolution i'll the House today was
based on the fact that it did not
contain the changes afterwards made
in the fight in the Senate, which as
sured to Congress continued control
over elections in the several states
After six hours of debate, in which
many demands were made for this
change in the resolution, all but Is
of the Republicans voted for the pas
sage of the resolution. The majority
of them had said during the debate
that they would support the resolu-
ton anyway, because they were con-
WINGED the public wanted such con-
stitutional amendment submitted to
the country as quickly as possible.
Those who opposed the resolution
on the final vote were:
epublicans-Cannon, Mann, Illinois:
Danforth. Dwight, Malby. New York;
Dodds. Fordney. McMorran, Michigan;
Harris, Lawrence Mccall Wilder,
Massachusetts,; Kinds, Maine; Sullo-
way, New Hampshire; Utter, Rhode
Island
Democrats-McDerm Illinois.
Former Speaker Cannon, Republican
Leader Mann and others on the Re-
publican side who voted against the
measure said that it's form was such
as to threaten the federal governments
with the loss of the control over SEN
atorial elections in the states given to
safeguard the integrity of these cleo
tions They insisted, as did other Re-
p'iblicans who ultimately voted for
the resolution. that the direct election
amendment should be offered without
any language attached that might be
dangerous to the future Congressional
supervision of senatorial elections.
But the Democratic leaders said that
the resolution was open to no such
construction and that it offered the
most nearly perfect constitutional
amendment that could be devised.
An amendment offered by Young of
Michigan. adding language that re-
sembled that of the Sutherland amend
ment adopted in the Senate two months
ago, was defeated by party vote, 121
to 190
The Republican Insurgents, led by
Lenroot and Cooper of Wisconsin.
forced a record vote on the final pas
sage of the resolution. The House vot-
ed Overwhelmingly in favor of the
| measure when Speaker Clark called
| for the viva voce vote; but the 1nsur-
gents demanded a roll call. to put the
House on record on the subject. The
Democrats quickly seconded this de-
mand.
| 1t was day of lively debate. Prac-
| tically every man who spoke favored
the direct election amendment. The
differences arose mainly over the form
of the resolution, and the constitutional
amendment of whether the powers OF
the federal government were in any
way threatened. New members en-
tered into the fray with enthusiasm.
| O'Shaughnessy, newly elected
! Democrat from Rhode Island, inform
ed the House that the Legislature OF
Rhode Island did not represent the
| people of that state; that his state
was the victim of archaic laws and
a moribund constitution" and that he
hoped the amendment for direct elec-
ton Of senators would be a short
cut across lots that would give the
| people of poor down. trodden Rhode
| Island those privileges that had been
taken from them by moth-eaten char
| ters."
| Utter. new Republican from the
| same state, replied that Rhode Island
did not need defence.
Norris of Nebraska. Cooper Of Wis
| consin. and other leading Repubii-
can Insurgents. said that everybody
favored the general idea and that tho
Democrats did wrong to couple With
it language that might create doubt
in the minds Of voters and amongst
members of state Legislatures as to
the powers that we're actually being
surrendered BY the federal govern
| ment. sss
| Chairman Rucker with the approval
Of 'Fis, Deliberate colleagues. urxed
CONTINUED fiji Page Three.)