Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-01-09
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington-If the states of the
Union through their legislatures, do
what it is expected they will do, it is
virtually assured that every United
States senator sworn into office two
years from next March will present
credentials which are direct gifts
from the people
Ten years ago if it had been sug-
gested to the elders of the senate that
IN little more than a decade the exist
ing system Of senatorial elections
would be a thing Of the past they
would have said that such thing was
only dream Of the dreamers. It
would have been too radical a PROPOSE
ton then to have been received with
anything but smiles and some sneers
from the conservatives Of the day.
The terms of thirty senators will ex-
pire March 3, 1915, and it Is entirely
probable that every one of their sue
cessors will be elected under a new
provision of the constitution which
will give the people the right directly
to name their men" In a recent
dispatch the possibilities in the case
Of the income tax amendment to the
constitution were discussed. The
amendment which provides that
United States senators shall be di-
rectly elected by the people is in less
danger Of defeat than its companion
tax amendment, although the latter
probably will successfully travel the
road to accomplishment.
Last Spring May IS. to be exact
congress passed joint resolution pro
posing the amendment to the consti-
tuition for the direct election of sena-
tors. Three days later the secretary
OF state received an embossed parch-
ment copy of the resolution. 1t was
transmitted to the states of the Union
for ratification. The legislatures of
only two of the states have been in
session since the action of congress on
the amendment was taken. The leg
islatures of Massachusetts and Mon
tana considered the resolution and
ratified it. What Massachusetts and
Montana have done 1t seems virtually
certain the other states will do.
No Opposition in Sight.
In January. 1913, the legislatures of
thiTty-three states meet, This num-
Der includes Massachusetts and Mon
tana. leaving thirty-one legislatures
In session whose duty it will be to
Tatify or to reject the amendment
which will put senatorial elections di-
rectly into the hands of the people.
Thirty-six states must ratify before
the amendment can take its place as
an added paragraph to the great docu-
ment. If all the legislatures which
meet in January sanction the amend
ment it will be within three votes of
the adoption stage. There is no rea-
son to believe, in the light of recent
advanced legislation. that the legisla-
ture of any state will withhold its APP
prevail ~
Il. by chance. objection should be
raised in some of the more conserva-
tive commemorative there are still
fifteen legislatures to meet in January.
1914, and no leader Of any party in
Washington seems to doubt for an in
slant that by Feb 1, 1914. the Consti-
tuition of the United States Will pro-
vide for new way to elect members
Of the upper house.
Federal Control 20 Continue.
The Democratic party, through its
leaders in congress. voiced a desire
for the direct choice of members of
the upper house, but it wanted to give
charge and supervision of the cleo
tons into the hands of the states. This
neither the Republicans nor the pro-
gressive Republicans in the senate
would stand for. The house was Dem
ocratiC, and for a long time the upper
and lower house men were at logger
heads on the form which the amend
ment was to take. or rather on the
question of striking out the federal
control provision"
The majority in the senate insisted
that the amendment should not change
in any way the article prescribing fed
eral authority over senatorial cleo
lions. The Joint resolution, as the
house passed it. gave the states abso-
lutte authority. There was a years
delay before the Democratic majority
in the house yielded. and so it is that
the states today have an amendment
before them which does not Interfere
in any way with the existing provision
of the constitution giving the federal
government the rights which it has
had for wears
O'Gorman May Enter Cabinet.
James A. O'Gorman. junior sena-
tor from New York, is giving his
attention to the matter of trust leg
islation under the coming Demo
cratic administration. No one knows
definitely whether Mr.. O'Gorman has
been asked by Mr. Wilson to devote
his attention to a study Of a subject
which is certain to trouble his party.
or whether the senator is vt it Of
his own will, but the fact that he is
directing his legal knowledge and his
common sense to the matter makes
Washington believe that James A.
oGorman as the next attorney gen
eraI Of the United States is far from
being an impossibility.
The New York senator said that
there is an undenjabIe demand fo-
amendments to the Sherman antitrust
-"~>->->-"~@-@>~~--~--~~~