The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-04-08

ly.
Washington. April s.-The new
the popular election of ; United 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
tnereo1. Tor six years: and each sen.
ator shall have one vote. The electors
IN each state shall have the qualifica-
numerous branch of the state leris-
latures.
When vacancies happen in ths
of any state in the sem
ate, the executive authority of such
state shall isue writs of election to
MI such vacancies, provided that the
!esislature OF any state may empower
p1rary appointments until the people
MI the vacascies by election as the
legislature may direct"
Transferred to Peoplc.
The amendment primarily transfers
the power of electing senator's from
the state legislatures to the people at
tne polls. TO effect this change it
was necessary to alter the machinery
for the filling Of vacancies, in the sem
ate. 80 80.
For more than sixty years proposals
nave been made to change the con.
stltution so as to provide for the di.
rect election Of senators. 1t was not.
however. until June "a. 1911. that the
in its history to give its consent to
the change. On that day it voted
to submit to the states the nronose,l
amendment. The resolution to suf.
NIT had already passed the house in
a somewhat different form. Before
a asdJournment of the session. both
houses agreed to the language to ba
posted with the secretary of state
the states. ~ ''''Ae
The original theory in establishing
the choice OF senators was that the,
represented the states, whereas the
members of the house represented tho
people OF their districts. 1t was be-
a unit that all states. large and small.
were given equal representation in the
senate. Rhode Island having the cams
number as New York or Pennsylvania
In the theory Of the constitution
trainers this entity of the state was
thus made more distinct under the
federal system. and the state leeis-
ASSoAuSu oS lI1o SulLdOI6
medium for expressing this state en-
tity Later it was contended that
state entity would still be preserved
II the people of the entire state, in-
stead of the legislature. chose the
and this view has now been
accepted as the basis Of the new sys.
tenn.
First Step in 1926.
In 1926 the first action was taken
In congress looking to a change. In
that year Representative Storrs of
New York introduced a resolution
making NJ senators elective by the peo-
import was introduced by Represen-
tative Wright of Ohio. in 1929. In
1850 Senator Clemens OF Alabama I'M
troduced the first senatorial direct
election resolution in the senate. Moth.
Ing resulted from these movements
1t was Andrew johnson who re-
yived congressional agitation for the
ber of the house Of representative.
he introduced two resolutions for the,
change. and in 1860 renewed the aei-
tation as a member of the senate. In
1865. as president. he sent a special
to congress advocating tho
measure. and then repeated his rec.
in his annual message.
heNlHeU WltllOuc success.
The subject was revived in 1879.
1876. 1885 and 1883. but without sue
,ess. In 1893 the house agreed to the
as it did in the succeeding
congress. and still again in 1898, 1900
and 1902. The proposed change on
none Of these occasions won a favor.
able report from committees in the
senate.
With the house thus arrayed wear
:fter year in favor of the change. the
'cnate became the battle-ground. SEN
'tor Bristow of Kansas took the lead
n advocacy of amendir~ the consti-
ution along this line. In December.
laO9. he introduced his first resolu.
ion. a year later he obtained a re.
'ort from the committee. but fea-
ure had been tackled onto his pro-
osal which brought on fight in the
senate. threatened to kill the entire
This interposed feature
vas to amend other provisions Of the
so as to deprive the fed.
raj government Of power to super
Use the state regulation: as to the
ime and manner OF election. The
'otes of southern senators threatened
o defeat he main proposition II he
power. Senator Root made a speech
n which he criticised the method
employed by southern states in de-
Driving negroes of the right Of SUI
rage. Senator Bacon replied that the
ederal government was being given
he power once more to enact force
bills" and send armies and marshals
nto southern states to intimidate
'otes. On February 90. Just before
he end of the session. the resolution
vas defeated by four votes.
prle