Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1911-02-11
DOES NOT FAVOR
DIRECT VOTE FOR
u. S. SENATORS

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11.-op-
posing all suggestions looking to
change in the manner of electing
United States senators, Mr.. Root of
New York yesterday addressed the
senate on the resolution providing
for election by direct vote of the
people. g
Mr.. Root said he would not have
senators elected by direct vote nor,
if they were to be so elected, would
have control of such elections trans
ferred from congress to the various
state legislatures. For congress to
abandon jurisdiction over senatorial
elections would be equivalent, he
said to the government surrender
ing its power to maintain itself.
Mr.. Root found in the main prop
osition, that of changing the method
of electing senators, an effort to
evade responsibility in the matter
of government. Declaring that the
change to be the corruption of state
legislatures, he said that a more
fundamental charge should be made
than is proposed. He would go to
| the root of the trouble by so puri-
| flying politics as to obtain better
material in the legislature. If the
people would look properly to the
selection of legislative candidates,
he was sure there would be COM
paratively little complaint concern
ing the election OF senators by leg
islative action and he was sure in
that event the agitation for direct
election would gradually disappear
The New York senator advises
great caution in amending the con-
stitution; he did not think it well
that the habit should be contracted.
Reverence for that great instru-
ment, the unwillingness to change
it., the sentiment that has gathere
1around it, constitute the stability of
the people of this great nation" he
said.
Especially desirable was it that
few changes be made between the
states and national government.
Admitting the expression of a
popular wish for popular senatorial
elections Mr.. Root contended that
the feeling is mere assent-not q
violent desire Naturally, he thought
the electorate would accept any ex-
tension of the franchise. They We're
tired of and impatient over such
delays as that now being manifested
by the Montana legislature to re
turn Senator Carter.
These troubles were due to the
? statute and not to the constitu
: tion. A far-reaching remedy coult
: be found in permitting the election
5 of senators by a plurality vote
The senator suggested that thu
! amendment should be changed t.
{ read:
Whereas, The people of the sev
eral states have been proved in
= competent to select honest and faith
u full legislatures in their own states
II Resolved, That the constitution
y be so amended as to relieve tn
,. people from the consequences o
II their interdependence by taking fron
( the state legislators the power t
u choose senator's and vesting tha
n power in the same incompeten
II hands"
II The agitation in the present cas-
: was traced by the speaker to tn
II popular distrust in respentative gov
sc ernment.
~ Strangely this movement come
> at a time when the developmer
of the country makes it more an
more necessary that we should d.
pend upon representative govern
~ ment," he said. "The initiativ
the referendum, the demand fl
-, popular elections, are expressions I
10 a weakness of democracies.
~ Admitting this to be a period
readjustment in the union. M
,s Root said that many experimen
- would be the result of this conc
he ton.