The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-05-07
SENATORS BY POPULAR VOTE.

tion Of u. 8. Senators by popular vote,
on the part Of those who insist upon
coupling with the constitutional amend
ment for such election the throwing
Off Of all Congressional control of the
election of Senators. AS the Constitu~
tion is now, Congress has control with
IN fsir limits of the election of both
Senators and Representatives in Con-
gress, this for the purpose of assuring
the purity of elections and the indie
pendent action Of the voters when they
vote upon the selection Of members
of Congress-. Now, there would seem
to be no necessary relation whatever
between the proposition to allow tho
Senators to be elected by popular vote
! and the taking away from Congress
of all supervision over the election of
| Senators
IL it were straightforward, hon est
proposition for the election OF Senators
| by popular vote in place Of by the
| legislature. then that change could be
made without in any way disturbing
the other provisions Of the Coustitu-
|
power to supervise the election Of the
Senators. AS it is, if the opinion Of
the House of Representatives should
| prevail. we would see the anomaly of
the retention by Congress Of supervis-
ion and control over the election OF the
sentatives, and no possible control or
| supervision over the election of United
States Senators.
SO far from the Constitution being
! relaxed in this respect when the
| change is made from election by the
legislature to election by popular vote,
precisely the reverse would be the
logical expectation and the necessary
rule. Heretofore, the Senators have
| been elected by the legislatures under
rules laid down by Congress, the law
fixing the time at which the legislature
shall begin its ballots for Senators, and
requiring that at least one vote day
shall be had until a Senator is elected
or until the session ends. There has
been. so far as the discussion of this
question before the people ia con.
cerned, no proposition to take away
the supervision Of Congress over the
Senatorial elections. The campaign
has been directed simply to the point
of changing the electorate from the
legislature TO the people. Why this
should be complicated with the oues.
tion of jurisdiction over the elections
CT tbot bo
vision OF Congress shall be taken away,
we have not been able to understand
nor does there seem to be any force in
the proposition that Congress would,
in case tho control of Congress is CON
tinued over the election of Senators,
interfere by military power in one
section Of the country or another in
these elections. any more than that 1t
would so interfere in the elections of
Representatives.. IF it were a candid.
honest proposition. the control would
remain in Congress Just as il does
now, and the people would elect the
senator in place of the Legislature
electing him, The proposition to do
away with the supervision Of Congress
over these elections seems TO us to be
simply dodge whereby those who
really are opposing the election Of Sen
ators by the people can defeat it with
out making themselves unpopular
among their constituents by interpos
ing such an obstacle As will prev eut
the people electing their Senators.
Thus far. the question has hinged
chiefly on party lines, the Democratic
House insisting on the doing away with
the supervision Of Congress, and the
Republican Senate insisting on retain
ing 1T. But. as we said before. the
Constitution rs 1T is should not in any
way be interfered with in DISCUSSION
OF this question. nor do the merits of
the proposition to elect Senators bv
| popular vote come in conflict in anv
way with the present provisions of the
Constitution which provide the super
VISION OF Congress over the election of
! Senators and Representatives.
The question has been made reason
| ably clear by tho explanations in the
House and in the Senate and we do
not see how any one who pretends TO
favor the popular election OF Senators
| is going to excuse himself TO his con
stituents on the plea that he insisted
that before he would agree to this. the
supervision of Congress over elections.
as already provided in the Constitution.
must he taken away.
There rs, to be sure, an argument
| that inasmuch as the States arc repre
sented as States in the Senate. their
dignity and Independence ought to be
above all supervision b. Congress in
their function of electing Senators.
But it Is plain that the Fathers of the
Republic, who framed the Constitution.
and who were as Jealous OF the powers
OF their respective States us any one