The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-02
NEW YORK ELECTS A SENATOR.

New OTk mas cnueu very long, DlI-
ter fight and deadlock by the election
Of James Aloysius O'Gorman to the u.
S. Senate. This seems TO be choice
gladly welcomed by all. Even the Shee.
the result. The choice appears to be
an eminently worthy one. The declara-
tion of views made by the newly elected
Senator certainly must be not only sat
isfactory TO but warmly approved by
the masses of the Democratic party. 1t
is altogether likely that, if New York
had had some sort of preliminary ex-
preston from the people, the choice
would have been directed to a worthy
aspirant in the first place, and there
istence of which has kept the State in
a turmoil for months, and has prac-
tically paralyzed all efforts of the legis-
lature to get at its legislative work.
very strong argument in behalf of
a change, that would allow the people
of the different States to elect their
United States Senators. is found in the
prolonged deadlock over the election
of Senators in the three States Of New
York, Iowa and Colorado, Montana IS
deadlock lasted long, but on the eve Of
adjournment, the legislature elected,
And now New York has also elected,
leaving only Colorado and Iowa
yet in deadlock, so far unbreaknble.
These prolonged deadlocks interfere
materially with the work Of legislation,
and are apt TO practically paralyze the
work of the legislative body. The chief
interest attaches inevitably to the Sen
atorial election, to the neglect of ev-
erything else. This results in double
peril; first, in the hiudering Of needed
legislation, and, second, in the liability
Of jobbing enactments slipping through
| unobserved by reason of the supreme
| interest in the Senatorial struggle. In
time the election of Senator fails alto
gether through these deadlocks. AT
one time IL failed in Utah. young as
this State is, and a great many States
have had similar experiences. And ev-
| cry time there is deadlock or a fail
ure, powerful plea can be made, and
is made, in favor Of a change in the
method of electing the Senators. For
since the Senate itself declines to re-
ceive an appointee of the Governor after
the Legislature has had an opportunity
to elect and fails to do so, the State
may be unrepresented for a longer OF
shorter time, by reason of the leglsla
tive failure to choose. This is q situa-
tion not contemplated in the Fedora
Constitution, in which the right Of the
States, as SUCH TO representation in the
Senate is fully guaranteed, and nc
State can be deprived of this repre-
sentation save by its own consent. We
think that the rule established by the
Senate that the States consent to bt
without full representation when the
Legislature fails to elect, Is erroneous
The Constitution provides two method:
of filing vacancy in States rep
resentation in the Senate. One is by
legislative election, the other by gu
DerndIOrdI appointment tHui DoIu W
these means of providing the reprcsen
tation are cxhaused, State should moi
be deprived Of a Senator. Still, the
Senate has made its rule to the con
trary and will no doubt abide by 1T fo
the time being. II is quite true tina
tho deadlocks do not deprive the Stat
of representation except where tn
deadlock results in failure to elect
Still, the objection to the deadlock a
parslyzing the legislative action gen
orally, as long as it lasts, holds good
1t is difficult to see the force of tn
objection to Senatorial elections by th
people, AS urged by Senators who OF
pose the Constitutional amendment, fo
this is the practice in a large numbe
Of the States now. The Legislature
simply made the body to record off
cially the voice Of the people, precisel
5 as the electoral college is made the o.