The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1912-05-30
Election Of senators.

/ Congresshaving passed the reso
luton TO amend the United States
Constitution 10 allow the direct cleo
don OF senators. the matter will now
De referred 90 the state legislatures
II is probable that tbree-fourths OF
he states VIII ratfy the proposed
hange and II viii become the law.
notwithstanding the fact we are
| kelly 10 be in the minority We can.
not approve OF theproposed change
II will destroy some of the delib-
eratiye power Of the Legislative
branch OF the government, At pres
ent we have three distinct tests that
/ proposed law must pass before IL
II adopted. IL must pass the hous,
which is composed OF the direct rep
esentatiyes OF the people elected for
A term of two years Then II mus
| lass the senate which is composed
II two members from each state
elected by the state legislatures fol
A term OF six years. Finally 1t must
be approved by the head of the ex
scutiye department of the govern
nent. In being submitted 10 three
different authorities law is sure 70
be thoroughly considered and 10 |
have all the different sides OF the |
question presented. The house rep
esents the will OF the people what
ever II may be. The senate repre-
Jents the will of the different sec.
lions OF the country, IL defends the
lights OF each section Being elee-
ted for alonger term II is not 81
much influenced by the temporary |
VIII OF the public as the house. II
II able 10 assume more OF judicial
attitude and decide a bill upon its
merits and protect the rights of the
minority more fully than body
,lected for a shorterterm by the di-
rect voice OF the people The pres
dent too is answerable to the people
although he is not forced TO appeal
% public sentiment quite so fire
iuently as the members of the house
10 we have now two bodies answer
Ible directly to the people and one
Inswcrable to the various state
rhis last body is the one TO which
he minority must look for its pro
tection. AS constituted at present
I is able to consider deliberately the
rights OF all the people under a pro. :
posed law and is really the best
equipped to deal justly In all mat
ters OF legislation II the methods oil /,
election is changed II win take away
ome OF the independence and use
illness OF that body.
This presents the theory upon
which the powers of the senate We're .
granted by the constitution and the
method OF the election of senators ,
determined In actual practice there
lave been elected several members
II the senate who evidently believed >
that the rights OF themlnority were
The only rights they should protect \
aud these members have caused the v
present dissatisfaction with the
method OF election We deplore az
much az any one some OF the cleo
ions that have been made under the
present system and would heartily
support any plan that we were con-
yinced would give us more honest
md efficient senator's. but can We
easonably expect better results
rom the proposed method The the
Try upon which popular election OF
Is based Is that the people
ire more honest than the represen-
atiyes they elect 10 the various
tate legislatures and are less sus-
eptible to the use OF money In poll
les than their chosen representa-
ives. II is not pleasant 10 say 30
nj history proves TO the contrary.
Take the case Of Sen. Stephenson.
man who secured his place in the
United States senate by the most
'razen use OF money He did not,
pend his money on the state legis-
ature which elected him but IN the
Urinary where he appealed directly
o the people There is unmistak-
BILE evidence that he spent over
1900 In securing the support OF
he people bat none that he bribed
u unduly influenced the legisla.
IRE. Take IL right At home and
there has the money been SPENT
here has never been an election Of
Uni,ed States senator in Vermont
hat compared 10 the use Of money
nd no'itieal corruption with the
lection OF GOV ] G. Mccullough
nd Gov John A. Mead There new
r Was so much money spent Ia the
lection al senator as in the
'roeior. CiemeAi campaign We; 10
hose three csgcs the appeal was
irccily 10 the - ople and not 10 the
tate legislature Put the question
} ANY practical Yes cionteT which he