The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1911-06-16
DIRECT : ELECTIONS
RESOLUTION AMENDING FER.
ERAL CONSTITUTION ADOPTED
~ VOTE OF O. TO 81.
DEBATE LASTS Till NIGHT
sristow Amendment Giving Nation
Supervision. Also Goes Through
With Vice Presidents
Vote.

vote.
Washington, D. G. = The senate
by g. to "a passed the resolution
amending the constitution to provide
for the election Of senators by direct
popular vote. The Bristow amend.
ment, giving to the federal govern
ment supervision of such elections,
was adopted A to A, the vice presi.
dent casting the deciding ballot. The
house already has passed the resolu.
ton.
Senator Reed of Missouri protested
against the vice president casting his
deciding vote. An amendment by
Senator Bacon qualifying the Bristow
amendment to prohibit federal super.
vision of election unless the state leg
islature refuse or fail to act was de-
feated IS to 43. The resolution as
amended was then finally adopted Ga
to "a.
Adoption of the Bristow amendment
which omitted the house provisions
transferring supervision of senatorial
elections from congress to the state
legislature was made possible by Mr..
Clarke of Arkansas casting the only
Democratic vote for the proposition.
The tie on that ballot would have been
prevented if his vote had been cast
with his party, with whom he later
voted on adoption of the resolution.
On this first ballot five Republicans,
Messrs Borah, Gronna. La Toilette,
Poindexter and Works, all insurgents,
voted against the provision. On the
resolution as amended the vote stood
81 to "a, or six more than the neces.
sary two-thirds majority.
Names Of Negative Voters.
OF the "a negative votes eight were
cast by Democrats and 16 by Repub-
licans, as follows:
Republicans - Brandegee, Burnham,
Lippitt, Lodge, Lorimer, Oliver, Page,
Penrose, Richardson, Root, Smoot and
Wetmore.
Fletcher, Foster, tombstone, Percy,
Terrell, and Williams.
The resolution as amended and
passed follows:
That in lieu of the first paragraph
of section 8 of article l of the consti.
tuition of the United States, and in lieu
OF so much of paragraph 2 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 as part of the constitu
ton when ratified by the legislatures
of three-fourths of the states:
People to Elect Senator's,
"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.
tons 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
executive thereof to make temporary
appointments until the people fill the
vacancies by election as the legisla.
ture may direct.
This amendment shall not be Sc
construed as to affect the election or
term of any senator chosen before 1t
becomes valid as part of the constitu.
tion."
The amended resolution now goes
into conference between the senate
and house, and some senators predict.
ed that the house would refuse to &C.
cept it.
The debate began shortly after
noon. 1t soon drifted into political
affair. Democratic senators criticized
Senator Bristow's change of attitude.
Mr.. Bristow framed the principal
amendment, in the nature of sub.
stitute to the main proposition, and
he seeks to continue the supervision
of senatorial elections in congress in.
stead of delegating it to the states,
as proposed by the house resolution.
In the last session the Kansas sen.
ator voted against the amendment of.
fered by Senator Sutherland of Utah,
which would have had the same effect
AZ his own provision Of this session,
Explains His Attitude.
Mr.. Bristow said that in both in.
stances his attitude had been dictated
by his desire to do that which most
certainly would insure the success of
the popular election resolution.
Senator Borah, in charge of the res.
olution. spoke in support of it, and
Senator Bacon opposed the Briitow
i amendment. &
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