Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-04-09
iENATORS NOW To
|BE ELECTED BY
| DIRECT VOTE
Of PEOPLE
amendment to Federal Consti-
| tuition Providing Such Pro-
cedure Formally Ratified by
Three Fourths Of States,
tONNECTICUT'S ACTION
MAKES 1T OPERATIVE
hereafter Instead of LegiSIa-
lures Choosing Members Of
Upper Body Electorate VIII
Exercise Privilege

Upper Body Electorate VIII
Exercise Privilege,
,n, Morning journal Special Leased Wlre)
washington. April S.-Direct elee-
.n If United states senators by the
,eapla was authorized and made
fnpnlsory today, when the Connee-
ieat legislature ratified the constitu-
ianal amendment submitted by con-
ress less than a year ago. The situ-
Ion that results through the eoun-
hre. where many legislatures have ad-
,oarned until 1915, Is such as TO leave
onfue.on in the minds Of members
nf ihe senate, as To how the early
#tens toward direct election OF sena-
Htors Will be carried out
while the proclamation of the see
rotary of state. announcing final ratl-
snntion Of the amendment hy thirty
six states is required hy law, sena b
Atars Bristow and Rofah, leaders IN
the direct elections fight in congress,
4 expressed the opinion today that
8amtndment for AN practical purposes
!. is now "a part of the constitution.
eAny man who may be elected TO
4 the senate hereafter must be elected
& 5dIroctly.' said Senator Borah.
q THE new amendment gives TO the
4 state legislatures, however, the right
& 90 prescribe the methods for electing
q senator's. Many legislatures have adj
q ioarned and will not re-contene un-
E I'd early In 1915. a few weeks before
8 tho terms Of over thirty senators ex-
s. pue. 10 is expected that in many
atas tf LEGISLATURES win adopi tie
plan authorized in the new amend
& ment and direct the governors to ap-
& point senator's temporarily until the
s people can elect men at regularly
E called elections.
Special sessions of the legislatures
e will be urged In many states, so that
4 the necessary laws can be passed be-
fore the general elections of 1914. IN
some states, action already has been
taken, or will be before the leeisl q
mes end their present sessions,
authorizing the people to vote for
senator's at next years election.
The choice of a senator In Mary
land for the place now held 10y Sena-
;or Jackson would have been made by
the legislature next year. under the
old system A special session Of the
Maryland legislature would be neces
sary to provide laws by which q popt-
lar election could occur next year. In
the opinion of members of the sem
ate no successor can be appointed by
the governor under the new provis-
ion. when Senator Jacksons term ex-
pires, unless the legislature shall have
especially directed sach action.
The new amendment to the consti-
tuition, for the popular election Of
United states senators. is the seven
teenth to be adopted 1t reads:
The senate Of the United
states shall be composed of two
senator's from each state elected
Boy the people thereof. for six
years. and each senator shall
have one vote. The electors in
each state shall have the quail
lieations requisite for electors of
the most numerous branch Of the
state legislatures
When vacancies happen in the
representation Of any state in the
senate, the executive authority Of
such state shall issue writs Of
election to fiji such vacancies.
provided that the legislature of
any state may empower the ex-
ecutive thereof to make tempor-
airy appointments until the people
Illl the vacancies hy election as
The legislature may direct"
The amendment primarily transfers
the power Of electing senators from
the state legislatures to the people at
NE polls. TO effect this change il was
necessary to alter the machinery for
the filling of vacancies in the senate.
For more than sixty years proposals
nave been made TO change the con-
stilution SO as to provide for the di
rect election of senator's 1t was not,
however, until juno "a, 1911, that the
senate was induced for the first time
N Its history to give its consent to
the change. On that day it voted 70
submit to the states the proposal
amendment. The resolution to sub
nit had already passed the house in
somewhat different form. Before
adjournment Of the session, both
houses agreed TO the language to BE
employed and the resolution was de-
posted with the secretary Of state
May l6, 1912, for distribution among
The states
The original theory in establishing
the choice Of senators was that they
represented the states. whereas the
members Of the house represented tho
people Of their districts. It was be-
cause of this theory Of the state as
unit that all states, large and small,
were given equal representation in
'he senate, Rhode Island having the
sumo number as New York or Penn
ssiFania In the theory Of the con-
sntution trainers this entity Of the
s'1'e was thus made more distinct un-
yer the federal system, and the state