Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-28
BEATEN BY 4 VOTES
Senate Defeats Resolution for
Direct Elections.
YEAS ARE 81; NAYS SO
Two-Thirds Necessary to Make
Change in Constitution.
ONLY FOUR MEMBERS ABSENT
Effort of Senator Bacon to Get in
Amendment at Last
Moment Fails.

By the narrow margin of four votes the
Senate this afternoon defeated the reso
luton providing for the direct election OF
senators.
Fifty-four senators voted in favor OF
direct elections, while thirty-three voted
against it. AS an amendment to the
Constitution was proposed. a tvo-thirds
vote was required-ffty-eight yeas
were necessary.
The yeas yere:
epublicans-Beveridge. Borah, Bourne
Bradley, Briggs, Bristow. Brown, Bur
kett, Burton. Carter, Clapp, Clark o.
Wyoming, Cullom, Cummins. Curtis
Dixon. du Pont, Frye, Gamble, Gronna
Guggenheinl, Jones, La Toilette, Nc.
Cumber, Nelson, Nixon, Perkins, Piles
Smith OF Michigan, Stephenson, Suther-
| land, Warner and Young.
| Democrats - Bailey, Chamberlain
Clarke Of Arkansas. Culberson, Davis
Gore, Martin, Newlands. Overman
Owen, Paynter, Rayner. Shively. Sim
mons. Smith Of Maryland. Smith OF
South Carolina. Stone, Swanson, Tay-
lor, Thornton, Watson.
The nays were:
/ Republicans - Brandcgee, Bulkeley
Burnham, Burrows, Crane, Depew, Dick
Dillingham;. Flint, Gallinger, Hale, Hey
burn, Kean, Lodge, Lorimer, Oliver
Page. Penrose Richardson, Root, Scott
Srhoot, Warren and Wetmore.
! Democrats-Bacon, Banlshead, Fletch'
| er, Foster, Johnston, Money, Percy
Taliaferro, Tillman.
| OF those who voted against direct cleo
| tions ten will go out Of the Senate Marcf
4. OF the remaining twenty-three wht
voted against it four have just beer
! elected for six more years.
Follows Reading Of Journal.
! BY a unanimous consent agreement
made several days ago. the Senate pro
| ceeded to a vote on the resolution pro
posing the amendment to the Constitution
| Immediately after the reading Of the jour
nal this afternoon.
AS the legislative day Of yesterday, ex
tending as it did from noon sesterda.
until nearly noon today, was j long ant
busy one, the reading OF tine journal con
sumed much time. Several proposals wer'
made to dispense with the reading. bu
fears that some technical point nigh
be raised against the consent 10 vote |
all the journal were not read made th'
proposals in vain.
| Senator Bacon made an attempt Il
propose an amendment when the resolu
ton was laid before the Senate for action
| lie contended that the unanimous con
sent was to vote on amendments and th'
resolution without debate; but the Vice
| President ruled the offering of any
amendment at that time was out OF ordel
under the agreement TO vote.
Senator Bacon's proposal was 10 save
| to the states control over the senatorial
| eiections-to prevent Congress nom IN
/ terferino with any OF the franchise law:
Of the south affecting the negro vote
| The adoption Of the Sutherland
amendment a few days ago had re
! served to Congress control over Tho
times, places and manner" of the cleo
=! tions. Senator Bacon proposed al
amendment limiting the action Of Con.
gres to elections held in states which
| do not enact franchise laws govern
ing SENSATIONAL elections.
Amendment Ruled Out.
| Ruling the amendment out Of order
| the Vice President directed the calling
Of the roll. Practically every senator
| was in the chamber and voted. -Ano
! the floor of the chamber and the gal.
leries were crowded. many members
| Of the House coming over to see the re.
/ suit.
Only four senators did not vote--Al.
drich Of Rhode Island and Terrell OF
Georgia, who are i'll; Crawford OF Soutl
! Dakota, who was detained by street
car accident and arrived just too late to
vote yea" and Frazier Of Tennessee
who, Senator Culberson said, was de-
| tanned because of death in his family
There is one vacancy in the Senate, due
| to the death Of Senator Hughes of Col
orado.
For many years there has been agita-
ton in the Senate for q constitutional
! amendment allowing senator's to be
| elected by the direct vote Of the people
| It reached its elimination this session
when q majority were in favor Of the
plan. Early in the session the COM
mittee on judiciary reported a reSolu-
tion providing for a direct election and
providing also that Congress should
relinquish control over the senatorial
elections in the several states.
The Main Fight.
The main fight was over an amendment
Of Senator Sutherland. having the ef-
feet of striking out Of the resolution that
part by which Congress gave up its con-
troll. For many days the debate contin-
ued Toward the end OF last week a
vote was finally taken on the Sutherland
amendment and it was adopted.
AS the Sutherland amendment was
feared by southern democrats, because
they feared Congress might interfere
with .grandfaAher' clauses and other
franchise laws Of the southern states af-
fecting the negro vote, they fought it
vigorously: and, as was shown by the
vote today. some OF them continued their
Continued on Second Page3