The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-04-14
THE SEVENTEENTH AMENDMENT

Il feel infinitely more than can express for the disor-
ders which have arisen in these states. Good God! Who
besides a Tory could have foreseen, or a Brton predicted
them?"
So wrote George Washington in sorrowful contempla-
ton of the internal disturbances which had occurred during
the formative period of our national existence. Shays re-
belion had distressed Massachusetts, and disturbed all the
states. Mobs had been IN possession OF courts. Jails had
been broken open. Law-abiding citizens had been bounded
out of their towns. Creditors had fled from pursuing
debtors, who we're eager to cancel obligations with worth
less paper. Popular demand was for the wiping out of
debts and for the printing of a va]ueless currency. The
states were in disorder. Authority was weak or strong ac-
cording to the personality of local officers. The confed-
eracy had almost none of the powers of a government.
The American people had won their freedom, but they
had not demonstrated their right to have it. There was
distrust of popular government, which was we'll founded.
The small states feared the larger ones. There were many
reasons for the uncertainty which the delegates to the con-
stitutional convention felt; it required splendid courage to
defend the cause of true democracy in the light of current
events. And not even the s%taunchest defenders of popu-
lar government could oppose the creation of an upper
branch of congress, the election of whose members was to
be indirect. The doubt which had been inspired by the
events just mentioned was strong and it was only natural
that the delegates should feel that there must be some
check upon the popular sentiment, already shown to be
tickle.
But we are a more confident democracy now. The
adoption of the seventeenth amendment by ~thirty-six states
indicates the disappearance of the last vestige of the old
distrust and doubt. The people are sure of themselves;
the small states have lost their fear of the larger. No
longer is it the popular will which must be checked. Now
it is the opposition to that will which must be controlled, for
it is that opposition withdrawing advantage OF the indi-
rect method of electing senators-has fortified itself to
defeat popular government and to make this a government
by privileged interests.
For two generations, the people have sought the direct
election of senators; for that long they have demanded their
rights in this matter. But, so firmly intrenched were the
privileged interests and so absolute was their control of the
machinery Of the government which they had stolen, that
they were able to delay the adoption of the seventeenth
until now.
Having demonstrated their ability to govern, the people
naturally wished to discard the indirect method of election.
Its adoption was the part of necessity at the time the con-
stitution was formed. 1t may not have been the
part of wisdom, even then, but he is indeed a harsh critic
who will blame the constitutional convention for feeling it's
way carefully. Now, however, he is either a timorous Tory
or a creature of the interests, who says that the direct elec-
ton of senators is not right and is not for the good of
the country.