The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-09
Connecticut Acts on Amend
ment Making the Thirty
sixth State
FIGHT OF NINETY
YEARS IS ENDED
First Action in Matter Was
Taken in l626---Present
Amendments Submit
ted May. 1912

WASHINGTON. April s.--Direct
election of United States senators be-
came one of the provisions of the
constitution today by Connecticuts
ratification of the amendment to that
effect Thirty-six States. the requisite
three-fourths of all in the Union, now
have approved the change. 1t re-
mains only for the governors Of all
States which have acted favorabiy TO
formally notify Secretary Bryan, and
for him to Issue a proclamation an
nouncing the change.
The amendment to the constitution
IL the second within the last few
months ard is the seventeenth to be
adopted. It reads:
The Amendment.
THE senate of the United States
shall be composed of two senators
from each State, elected by the peo-
Pile thereof. for six years; and each
senator shall have one vote. The
electors IN each State shall have the
qualifications 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 cleo
ton 10 fill such vacancies. provided
that the legislature Of any State may
empower the executive thereof to
make temporary appointments until
the people ill the vacancies by cleo
ton as the legislature may direct
The amendment primarily trans
f<rs the power of electing senators
1Mf- kN
people at the polls To effect this
change ii was necessary to alter the
machinery fer the filling of vacancies
in the senate.
For more than ninety years pro-
posats have been made to change the
constitution so as to provide for the
direct election OF senator's. IT was
not, however. until June %. 1sil.
that the senate was induced for the
consent to the change. On that day
it voted to submit TO the States the
proposed amendment.
The resolution 10 submit had al
ready 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 deposited with the sec
Rotary of state May l6. 1912, for dis
tribution among the States.
History of Struggle.
In 1895 the first action was taken in
congress looking 10 q change in the
method of electing senators. In that
year Representative Storrs. OF New
York, introduced a resolution max
ing senators elective by the people.
Another resolution of similar import
was introduced by Representative
Wright. of Ohio, in 1890. In 1850
Senator Clemens. of Alabama. intro
duced the first senatorial direct cleo
ton resolution in the senate. Moth
ing resulted from these movements
II was Andrew Johnson who revived
congressional agitation for the direct
election of senators. AS a member of
the house at representatives. ne in
troduced two resolutions for the
change and in 1850 renewed the agi-
tation as a member of the senate, In
1858. as president. he sent q special
message to congress advocating the
measure and then repeated his recon-
mendations in his annual message,
The subject was revived in 1879.
1875, 1886 and 1888, but without sue
cess In 1898 the house agreed TO
the proposition. as IL did in the sue
ceeding congress, and still again in
1898. 1900 and 1909. The proposed
change on none of these occasions
won a favorable report from commit
tees In the senate.