Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1913-04-08
new AMENDMENT RATHER
CONSTITUTION or THE NATION
is CHANGED BY VOTES OF
THE STATES
new MEXICO HELPED Do IT
THE LEGISLATURE, AT RECENT
SESSION, TOOK FAVORABLE
ACTION ON QUESTION

Washington, April S.-Direct cleo
ton Of United States senators be-
came one Of the provisions Of the
constitution today By Connecticut's
ratification Of the amendment to that
effect. Thirty-six states. the requisite
three-fourths, have approved the
change. It remains only for the gov
eruors OF all states which have acted
fayorably to formally notify Secretary
Bryan and for him to issue a procla-
nation announcing the change.
The amendment to the constitution
is the second within the last three
months.
The new amendment to the consti-
tuition, for the popular election Of Uni
ted States senators, is the seventeenth
to be adopted. 1t reads
"The senate Of the United States
shall be composed Of two senators
from each state elected by the people
thereof for six years; and each SEN
ator shall have one vote. The cleo
tcrs in each state shall have the quail
fications requisite for electors Of the
most numerous branch ol the state
legislatures.
When vacancies happen in the rep
resentation Of any state in the SEN
ate, the executive authority Of such
state shall issue writs of election to
fill such vacancies. provided that the
legislature OF any state may empower
the executive thereof to make tempor-
airy appointments until the people I'll
the vacancies by election as the legis-
lature may direct"
The amendment primarily transfers
the power Of alecting senators from
the state legislatures to the people at
the polls. To effect this change it
was necessary to alter the machinery
for the filling Of vacancies in the sem
ate.
For more than 90 years proposals
have been made to change the consti~
tuition SO as to provide for the direct
election Of senators. It was not, how
ever. until June "A, 1911, that the
senate was induced for the FIRST time
in its history to give its consent to
the change. On that day It voted to
submit to the states the proposed
The resolution to sub
nit had already passed the house in
a somewhat different form Before
Of the session. both
houses agreed to the language to be
employed, and the resolution was de-
posted with the secretary OF state
May 1e. 1912, for distribution among
the states
The original theory in establishing
The choice Of senators was that they
the states, whereas the
Of the house represented the
people OF their district. 1t was be-
cause Of this theory Of the state as a
mite that all states, large and small.
we're given equal representation ID
he senate. Rhode Island having the
iame number as New York or Penn
iylyania II the theory Of the consti-
ution trainers this entity Of the state
vas thus made more distinct under
he federal system. and the stale les
stature was regarded as tbs suitable
medium for expressing this state en-
ily. Later Il was contended that
Itaie entity would silli be PRESERVED
( tho people d the entire stats. S.
Itead of tho Legislature. chose fhe
lenators, ara tAia YseR las nov hsea
soeeDied as tbe baaia Of ihe hNN
em
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.eaness leeA.as g eaeAse
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York fe'FesW