Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1911-06-15
70 ELECT SENATORS
By POPULAR VOTE
,cNATE PASSES RESOLUTION At
NIGHT SESSION BY BIG
MAJORITY.
FOR FEDERAL SUPERVISION
Amendment Adding This Provision
Passed After Heated Debate-Vice
President Casts Deciding Vote on
chanse-chair Calls Senator Down.

Washington-The senate, at night
session, by Ga to "a, passed the reso-
luton amending the constitution to
provide for election of senators by
direct popular vote.
The Bristow amendment, giving to
the Federal government supervision
Of such elections, was adopted, Al 10
45, the vice president casting the de-
Gliding ballot. The house has already
passed the resolution.
Senator Reed of Missouri prote sted
against the vice president casting his
deciding vote. An amendment by
Senator Bacon qualifying the Bristow
amendment to prohibit Federal su-
pervision felection unless the state
legislature refuse or fail to act was
defeated, 46 to 43. The resolution as
amended was then finally adopted, ga
to "a.
The debate on the resolution look
ing to the election OF United States
senators by direct vote of the people
began shortly after noon. 1t soon be-
came a political affair. Democratic
senator's criticised Senator Bristow's
change of attitude. Mr.. Bristow
framed the principal amendment, in
the nature of substitute to the main
proposition and he sought to continue
the supervision of senatorial elections
in Congress, instead of delegating 1t
to the states, as proposed by the
house resolution. In the last session
the senator voted against an amend
ment offered by Senator Sutherland
of Utah, which would have had the
same effect as his own provision
Mr.. Stone OF Missouri arraigned Mr..
Bristow as "snatching the amend
ment" from Mr.. Sutherland. Mr. Bris-
tow said he first believed the measure
would be stronger without the provis-
ion and now believed it would be
stronger with 1t.
Mr.. Davis of Arkansas arraigned
Mr.. Bristow. Referring by name to
Senator Cummins, Clapp and La
Toilette, he declared "the insurgent
crowd never had been sincere on any
subject they have brought before the
country"
The chair called Mr.. Davis to or
der, Mr.. Cummins denied Mr.. Davis
statement of an alleged instance as
untrue Mr.. Bristow refuted the
charge saying that only under great
provication, would he pay any atten-
ton to what the senator from Arkan-
sas said"
Mr.. Bacon aroused feeling by de-
claring that great interests had been
bringing enormous pressure to bear
to defeat the resolution. Senators
Works, Guggenheim and Cummins
arose to refute the allegation. Mr..
Bacon explained that he was imput-
ing no impropriety to any member.
The alleged detection of the pro-
gressiEes was scored by Senator Reed
OF Missouri, who declared the con-
version of Mr. BristoY to Senator
Sutherland's viewpoint was-%because
of the negro vote in Kansas"
Adoption of the Bristow amend
ment, which omitted the house pro-
vision transferring supervision of SEN
atorial elections from Congress to the
state legislature, was made possible
by Mr.. Clarke of Arkansas casting
the only Democratic vote 'or the prop
osition. The tie on that ballot would
have been prevented if his vote bad
been cast with his party, with whom
he later voted on adoption OF the reso-
luton. On the resolution as amended
the vote Ga to "a, was six more than
the necessary twG-thilds majority. OF
the "a negative votes, 8 were cast by
Democrats and 13 by Republicans.
The amended resolution now gees
into conference between the senate
and house and some senators pre-
dicted that the house will refuse TO
accept it.