New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-14
HOUSE FOR DIRECT
ELECTION Of SENATORS
Democrats Rush Through First
Measure on Their leglsIa-
tive Programme.
STEAM ROLLER OUT AGAIN
Proposed Amendment to Consti-
tuition Approved by Vote OF
296 to 16-It Abolishes
Federal Control.
from The Tribune bureau


Washington. April Js-By the ovcrwhelrn-
Ing vote of eas 10 Is the House tonight
rsssed a resolution providing for the cleo
ton Of Senators by direct vote OF the peo-
pie. Fifteen Of the Republican "old guard
end one Democrat voted against the resoiu-
ton on final passage. Tho opposition was
Nssed on the fact that II delegated 10 'he
states supreme authority rs to the manner
time and place Of holding the eecuons
and took from Congress all jurisdiction and
control over the selection OF remeers OF
the upper chamber.
Deteyn,ined 20 send the measure 10 IN"
sAns.e at the earliest possible moment the
House Democrats ignored the protest OF
the minority leader. Mr. Mann, and others
who contended that a measure amending
the Constitution should not be rushed
through with a few hours consideration.
The rill was reported to rho House from
.hs Committee on Elections No at noon
and a compromise was finally reached
whereby elk hours Of general debate was
allowed. This concession only slightly i'm
reded the progress of the Democratic
steam roller. now much in evidence In the
House.
Representative l-nderwooi and Chairman
Pucker in charge of the resolution, served
notice on the minority that the measure
"a reported from tho committee rs TO be
raised before the House adjourns to-day.
consequently. tho House remained In ses-
sion until nearly o'clock before the final
vote was taken.
AZ one Of the few directors. ex-Speaker
Cannon agreed that the proposed method
If electing Senators might be as good as
the old. but he opposed the resolution as
drawn.
AS understand this resolution. which
proposes 20 amend the Constitution. ne
said. 1T takes from Congress all control OF
the regulation OF these elections. and
shall have 10 vote against the proposition
Mr. Mann ridiculed the idea that state
legislatures ere not TO be trusted when
4, comes 20 electng Senator. but that,
upon the other hand. they are to have full
sway In the matter Of prescribing the man
ner Of election by the people. The distran-
chisement Of the negro in the Southern
States was cited as an instance of the COM
rlicsuons that may result through direct
election Of Senator's.
The House expects that the resolution
NAV have a stormier career in the Senate;
hence the haste in sending II to the upper
body The resolution introduced by Sena-
tor Borah last session, with which the
measure Passed by the House to-day "a
practically identical, failed Of passage in
the Senate because the Sutherland amend
ment, which retained for Congress the
right 30 euperyisa elections of Senators.
vas obnoxious TO Southern Democrats.
The Sixteen Opponents.
Asher Kinds. the former parlamentarian
q. tho House cast lis first rollcsll vote
today. and followed the lead Of Mr.. Can
non. al whose table he served for number
Of years.
The sixteen opponents ~ the resolution
we're Cannon Danforth. Dodds. Dwight.
Tordney Harris, Kinds, Lawrence, Mccall.
lIcNIorran. Malbv. Mann. Suoway, Utter
sni Wilder. Republicans. and McDermott.
Democrat
Tie Republican insurgents. led by Repre-
sontatives Lenroot and Cooper. of Wiscon-
SIN. forced record vote on the final pas
cage of the resolution. The House was over
whelminglv IN favor Of the measure when
Speaker Clark called for 3 Viva voce vote,
hut the insurgents demanded roll call, IN
order 10 put the House Oh record. The
Democrats quickly seconded this demand
II was DAY Of lively debate. New mem
lsrs jumped into the fray with enthusiasm.
Representative Lanerty. Of oregon. was a
prominent figure among them. and told the
House that he was an insurgent Republican
and proposed TO support any good measure
without regard TO politics. He sided with
The Republican forces in urging moGitca-
ticf, ~ tho amendment
Representative OSasughnossy. a newly
elected Democrat from Rhode Island. in
formed the House that the Legislature OF
Rhode Island did not represent the people
81 that state. that his state was the vic
tim of archaic laws and a moribund con-
stitution." and that he hoped the amend
meut would he 2 short cut across lots
that would give tho people Of poor. down
trodden Rhode Island those privileges that
had been taken from them ny moth-eaten
charters"