Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-04-09

accepted as the basis Of the new sSs-
tenn.
In lS26 the first action was taken
IN congress looking 60 a change ma
that year Representative Storrs, of
| Ncw York. introduced "a resolution
making senators elective hy the pco-
pie Another resolution of similar
| import was introduced by Rcpresen-
tativc Wright, of Ohio. la 1929. IN
1850 senator Clemens of Alabama.
introduced the iirst senatorial direct
election resolution in the senate.
4 Nothing resulted from these move
monts
Il was Andrew johnson who re-
viVed congressional agitation for the
direct election of senators. AS a
member of the house OF representa-
! tivcs. he introduced TWO resolutions
for the change, and IN 1860 renewed
! the agitation as "a member of the
senate. In 1865, as president, he sent
"a special message to congress adNo-
/ eating the measure, and then repeat
/ ed his recommendations in his annual
message.
The subject was revived I'm 1878,
/ 1876, 1856 and 1855, bat without sue
cess In 1893 the house agreed to
the proposition. as IL did IN the sue
eeedng congress, and still again in
1898. 1909 and 1902. The proposed
/ change on none OF these occasions
won a favorable report from commit
/ tees In the senate.
with the house thus arrayed year
after year in favor of the change. the
senate became the battle-ground. Sem
ator Bristow. of Kansas, took the lead
/ in advocacy of amending the const-
{ tuition along this line. In December,
1903, he introduced his first rcsolu-
+ tion. year later he obtained re-
/ port from the committee, but "a fea-
ture had been tackled onto his pro-
posal which brought on fight IN
Z the senate and threatened 10 XIII the
entire proposition. This interposcd fca-
/ ture was 40 amend other provisions
of the constitution so as to deprive
the federal government of power to
supervise the state regulations as TO
/ the time and manner of election. The
votes of southern senators threatened
T 10 defeat the main proposition If the
+ federal government was given this
power Senator Root made a speech
/ in which he criticised the method em-
ploved by the southern states in de-
privine negroes of the right of suf-
fragc. Senator Bacon replied that the
/ federal government was being given
the power once more TO enact force
+ bills and send armies and marshals
/ into southern states TO inumidate
voters on February 2S, just before
/ the end Of the session. the resolution
was defeated by four votes.
senator Bristow reintroduced Che
resolution in the special session inn
4ncdmtely following. The fight Of the
preceding session was relought but
/ this time the friends of the resolution
won by vote of ga 10 "a. or five
more than the required two-thirds
The house had passed resolution
which made il clear the federal gov
ernment was not to interfere with
senatorial elections in the states For
weeks the measure was IN conference.
+ Finally the house conlorees receded
and the house agreed to the senate
measure BY a vote of 237 to 39.
Previous to this time, the several
I states had taken the bit in their teeth
4 by enacting laws which in effect did
not wait for constitutional amend
ment on the subject. probably the
most successful of these was adopt
/ ed in Oregon. 1t virtually directed
the members Of the legislature to|
elect the person who received the mas
iority vote at the regular election,
when the placing Of the name of q
candidate fer United states senator
upon the tickets was authorized
The control of legislatures by great
corporations was assigned hy senator
Brstow 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, "and the Increased
Importance of legislation relating tol
their affairs. they have tenaciously
sought to control the election of sem
ators friendly to their interests The
power Of these great financial and in
dustrial institutions can be very effee- |
lively used in the election of senators
by legislators, and they have many
times during recent years used that /
power in a most reprehensible ana !
scandaous manner They have spent
enormous amounts of money in COR
rupung legislatures to elect TO the
senate men of their own choosing
one of the first speeches made IN /
the senate during the twentyyeaf cru
sadie 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 senators I
By legislatures was the one blemlsh I
on the democracy which was em- /
bodied in the American government /
one of the most notable speeches t
ever made in opposition to the change I
was that Of Senator Hoar, Of Massa-
chusetts in 1893. He stated the OBJ I
iect of the election of senators by /
legislatures instead of by the people |
had been to remove one Of the two /
bodies Of legislation" from the opera (
ton of the fleeting passions Of the T
hour, to lay its foundation below the Z
frost and TO remove the appointment /
of the men who are to compose it, I
as far as may be, from the temporary f
excitements which 50 often move the
people to their own harm
Il am not afraid to say to the +
American people that it is dangerous +
to trust any great power of govern
ment to their direct or inconsiderate +
control" he added. Il am not afraid f
to tell them not only that their sober /
secnnd thought is hetter than their l