The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-28
RAINIER FAVORS
 POPULAR VOTE Would Be Greatest Reform
 of Generation BACON IS OPPOSED Senator From Maryland Makes Elo- quent Appeal for Adoption of
 Amendment to Constitu-
 tion for Direct Vote

tion for Direct Vote < ," Washington, D. C.. February 27-Sev- eral speeches were made in the Senate today upon the resolution calling for th9 election of senators by direct vote of the people, Tomorrow the resolution will be put to a vote and the speech on the eve of the day that will deter mine it's fate were heard by the Senate with a greater interest than has been manifested in the subject heretofore.
 One of the speakers was Senator Ray ner of Maryland, who advocated the adoption of the resolution despite the Sutherland amendment which had been voted in the resolution last Saturday. Another was Senator Bacon of Georgia, who, having favored the resolution, had become perhaps its strongest opponent in its altered form. He strongly resent ed the aim and purpose of the Suther- land amendment, placing the control of the elections in the hands of Congress Senator Percy of Mississippi followed MT. Bacon and antagonized the meas. ure.
 It has been believed by many that the fate of the resolution was sealed when the Sutherland resolution was adopted. The hostility of enough southern serla- tors to prevent the necessary two-thirds votes for the resolution. 1t was thought. had been aroused by the amendment.
 Senator Jones of Washington, Senator Simmons of Nofth Carolina, and Sem ator Bourne of Oregon, also were among the speakers, all being In favor of the resolution.
 Mir. Bourne spoke of the election and primary system of his state known as the Oregon plan. which he declared D be the real government by the people.
 Washington, February 27.-An ainend- inert of the constitution to permit the election of senators by direct vote of the people would be the greatest po- litical reform accomplished by the pres ent generation" according to Senator Rayner of Maryland He told the Sem ate today he would support the resolu- ton providing for such an amendment notwithstanding the acceptance of the Sutherland amendment.
 People Want Change
 'The people want this change and they vii. have it," he said. Tt is not the claInor of the mob; 1t is not the impulse of agitation it is the deliberate and ma- tured thought of the Anrertcan neqrie thrc,ikis which tile chA..s.if ynlii ..ie. Between the people and the legislature, prefer the people, and l would not want to hold my place here for a moment if thought the popular sentiment of my state was against me Legislatures are one thing, the people are another. Leg islatures are sometimes controlled by po- ltical managers and the people at this hour are in the humor of breaking the bonds of political despotlsm.
 "The day of tyranny is over in this republic and the rising generation is no longer being driven to the polls like cat tie to the shambles, but Is marching in unbroken phalanx with free ballots and ballots that are not for sale. They un- derstand this question and demand that 1t shall be submitted to the legislatures of the states. They will not tolerate the suggestion that has been advanced here that they are too ignorant to decide it."
 After further argument the Maryland senator said that if the people have not the intelligence or the capacity to select their representatives then it will be bet ter to submit constitutional amend ment to change the form of government lIOil d TcpuDHC tO u TlOndTCTy.
 If the people must have political slave masters, let us invest them with royal power and hereditary prerogatives,'' said Mir. Rayner. If the people are wanting in the qualifications requisite to select senators, then, in my Judgment, the re- public is failure. Who says that they cannot be trusted? We say SO. Who has authorized us to say so? We are not the masters; we are the servants of n nV1n nd fha Cto toe T that this question should be submitted to them, in my judgment we had better no longer trfe with their appeal"
 Bacon Opposes
 Following. MT. Rayner, Senator Bacon. of Georgia. contended that it was not safe to adopt the elections resolution with the Sutherland amendment. He argued that the effect of that provision would be to place into the power of congress complete control of elections.
 MT. Bacon said the government would under the resolution as amended be en- powered to say what names might go upon the voters registration lists. This, he urged would be a dangerous power in view of the conditions that obtain fin many sections of this country.
 South Is Interested
 Admitting that the south is especial
 
 now, the senator contended that the time might come when the question would be just as acute in other sections of the country. For instance, the vel. low peril might assert itself in the west in connection with the exercise of the franchise.
 Improbable as this may seem It could not be any more so than was the prospect of negro suffrage in 1seo," said MT. Bacon.
 To show that the possibility of danger from federal interference Is not dead MT. Bacon instanced the federal cleo tion law of 1870 and the force bill rf twenty years later. In the face of these facts the speaker argued there was dan ger at any time. "If the power doas exist to control elections I am not will Ing that 1t should be exercised" he said. M
 MT. Bacon said in conclusion that whatever others might do he could not consent to manacle his hands hy the resolution as it stands. He urged post ponement, asserting that the time was near when the resolution could be adopt ed until encountered by the Sutherland provision.
 Senator Percy of Mississippi contended that with the Sutherland amendment the elections committee would permit the federal authorities to invade the sovereign states and control all elee- tions. state. county, and municipal. He denounced the proposition as "mon- strous and preposterous."
 MT. Percy declared that the negro did not have the same love of the exercise of the franchise as the white man. He stated that the constitution of Missls- sippi which disfranchises 80 per cent ,,f the negroes also disfranchises 20 per