Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-04-15
SENATORS BY DIRECT VOTE
Lower House Passes Resolution By
Large Majority.
FEDERAL CONTROL THREATENED
Former Speaker Cannon Takes Thia
View I'm speech In Opposition 60
the Measurc-Day OF
Lively Debate.

WASHlNGTON, April A.-The hous1 OF
representatives by a vote OF 2e6 20 ls passed
yesterday the Rucker resolution proposing
a constitutional amendment for the direct
election Of United States senators. This is
the first Of the measures on the democratic
program passed by the house 1t went
through without modification and with A.
speed that brought protests from the TO
pubhcans.
The resolution as the house approved Il
Is in the form Of the Borah resolution. re-
ported out OF the senate judiciary com
mittee in the closing days OF the last
congress. Republican opposition to the
RucSer resolution in the house was based
on the fact that It did not contain the
changes afterwards made in the fight in
the senate. which assured to congress con
tiuued 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 fifteen Of the republi-
cans voted for the passage of the resolu-
ton. The majority OF them had stated
during the debate that they would sup
port the resolution because they were con
WINGED the public wanted such a constitaya
tional amendment submitted to the coun-
try as quickly as possible.
Those who opposed the resolution on the
final vote were:
Republcans-Cannon. Mann, Illinois;
Danforth, Dwight Malby, New York:
Dodds, Fordney, MoMorran. Michigan.
/ Harris, Lawrence, Mccall, wilder. Massa-
| chusetts: Kinds, Maine; Suiloway, New
hampshire; Utter, Rhode Island.
! Democrat-McDermott, Illinois.
Federal Control Threatened.
Former Speaker Cannon Republican
Leader Mann and others Of the republicans
who voted against the measure declared
| that its form was such as to threaten the
| federal government with the loss OF the
control over senatorial elections in the
states, given TO safeguard the integrity OF
these elections. They insisted as did other
republicans who ultimately voted for the
/ resolution, that the direct election amend
ment should be offered without any Ian
guage attached that might be dangerous
to the future congressional supervision on
senatorial elections.
Democratic leaders declare that the
] Rucker resolution was open 10 no such
| construction and that it offered the most
nearly perfect constitutional amendment
that could be devised An amendment Of
| fered by Representative Young OF Mlchi-
gan, adding language that resembled that
Of the Sutherland amendment adopted in
the senate two months ago, was defeated
by party vote 12l TO 1870.
! The republican insurgents led bv Rem
resentatves Lenroot and Cooper Of Wiscon-
sin, forced record vote on the final pas
sage Of the resolution. The house voted
overwhelmingly in favor of the measure
when Speaker Clark called for the viva
voce vote; but the insurgents demanded
a roll call, in order to put the house on
record the subject. The democrats
quickly seconded this demand.
1t was a day OF lively debate. Pract-
cally every man who spoke favored the
direct election amendment The differences
arose mainly over the form OF the resolu-
ton and the constitutional arguments of
whether the powers of the federal gov
eminent were in any way threatened.
New Members Not Backward.
| New members jumped into the fray with
enthusiasm. Representative Lsfferty of
Oregon was a prominent figure amongst
these and told the house at the beginning
that he was an insurgent republican and
proposed to support any good measure
without regard to politics. He sided with
the republican forces in urging a modi-
| fication OF the amendment
| Representative o Shaughnessy, a newly
elected democrat from Rhode Island, in
! formed 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 constl-
tuition" and that he hoped the amendment
| for direct election of senators would be
a short cut across lots that would give
! the people of poor, downtrodden Rhode
| Island those privileges that had been taken
| from them by moth-eaten charters"
| Representatives Baker of California;
/ Tribble of Georgia and other new memberS
! figured I'm the debate.
| Representatives Norris of Nebraska,
! Cooper OF Wisconsin, and other leading
republican insurgents declared that every
\ body favored the general idea and that
the 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
were actually being surrendered by the
| federal government.
! Chairman Rucksr with the approval of
his democratic colleagues, urged the house,
to defeat any amendments.
Reciprocity Bill Reported FAvOrAbIy.
The Canadian reciprocity bill introduced
yesterday was reported favorably 10 the
house today by the new ways and means
/ committee. The committees also passed.
favorably on the free list tariff measure
but will not report il until tomorrow.
NO REPORT FROM TARIFF BOARD