The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-04-11

| power once more to enact 'tforce bills
| and send armies and marshals into
| southern states to intimidate voters.
On February %, just before the end
/ Of the session. the resolution was de-
| feated by four votes.
Senator Bristow reintroduced the
| resolution in the special session i'm
| preceding session was refought, but
this time the friends of the resolution
won by vote of "a to "a, or five more
than the required two-thirls.
The House had passed a resolution
which made it clear the federal gov
eminent was not to interfere with
senatorial elections in the states For
! weeks the measure was in conference
FINALLY the House conferees receded
and the House agreed to the Senate
measure by vote of 237 to 80.
Previous to this time, the several
states had taken the bit in their teeth
by enacting laws which in effect did
not wait for a constitutional amend
ment on the subject. Probably the
most successful of these was adopted
In Oregon. 1t virtually directed the
members Of the legislature to elect the
person who received the majority vote
at the regular election, when the plac-
ing of the name of a candidate for
United States senator upon the tickets
was authorized.
corporations was assigned by Senator
Bristow as one of the main reasons
for the demanded change. with the
development during recent times Of
the great corporate interests OF the
country said he, land the increased
Importance of legislation relating to
their affairs, they have tenaciously
sought to control the election Of SEN
ators friendly to their interests. The
power of these great financial and
IS~q It, 1A-rA -
fecttvely used in the election of SEN
ators by legislators and they have
many times during recent years used
that power in a most Teprehensfble
and Scandalous manner They have
spent enormous amounts of money in
corrupting legislatures to elect to the
Senate men of their own choosing
One Of the first speeches made in
the Senate during the twenty year
crusade for the change in favor Of the
direct election was by Senator Turpie
of Indiana. In that speech he de-
clared that the election of senator's by
legislatures was the one blenish on
the democracy which was embodied
in the American government.
One Of the most notable speeches ev-
er made in opposition to the change
was that of Senator Hoar, of Massa-
ohuSetts, in 1893. He stated, the OBJ
1eot of the people had been to remove
one Of the two bodies of legislation"
from the operation Of the heeting pas
sions of the hour, to lay its founda-
ton below the frost, and to remove
the appointment of the men who are
to compose it, as far as may be, from
the temporary excitements which SO
often move the people to their own
HARM
t.I am not afraid to say to the AM
erfcan people that it is dangerous to |
trust any great power Of government
to their direct or inconsiderate con- |
troll" he added. 81 am not afraid to
tell them not only that their sober
second thought is better than their
hasty action, but that government |
which is exposed to the hasty action
of a people is the worst and not the |
best government on EARTH
No legislation by Congress Will be |
necessary to put the change into eff
feet. It VIII be incumbent upon the |
various states to see to it that prop
er provision is made by the names of
senators going on the regular ballots. |
Should any state fail Co do so, #. has
been suggested that Congress might |
exercise it's power of supervising that |
states voting regulations SO as to re-
quire the name to be placed on the |
ballots.
The first senators to be elected by |
the new method will be those who |
take their seats for the term begin
ming March 5, 1915. They will be
elected at the November elections of
1914.
The first thirty-three states to rati- |
fy the amendment were: Arizona, Ar |
kansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, I
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, /
Massachusetts,, Michigan, Minnesota, |
Missouri Montana, Nebraska, Nevada,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York, New Mexico. North Carolina,
North Dakota. Ohio, Oklahoma, Ore
gon South Dakota, Texas, Vermont,
w ashington, West Virginia, Wfscon-
sin and Wyoming.