Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-04-09
OLD PROBLEM
NOW SETTLED

iSdllIu HdNllS the Sdllt nuIlDtr DIS new
York of 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
Legislature was regarded as the suitable
medium for expressing this state entity.
Later it VAS contended that state entity
would still be preserved if the people of
the entire state, instead of the legiSla-
turc, chose the senator's. and this view
has now been accepted as the basis of the
new system.
In 1876 the first action was takes in
Congress looking 70 a change. In that
wear representative StorrS, Of New York
introduced Il rcsolutiOs making senator's
elective by the people. Another rcsolu
ton of similar import was introduced
by Representative Wright Of Ohio in
1920. In 1850 Senator Clemens. of Ala
bama, introduced the first senatorial
direct election resolution in the senate.
Nothing resulted from these movements.
1t was Andrew johnson who revived
congressional agitation for the direct
election Of senators. AS Il member OF the
house Of representatives. he introduced
Two resolutions for the change, and in
1850 rCcwed the agitation as a member
of the senate. In 1868 aS president he sent
Il special message 10 congress advocating
the measure and he repeated his recon-
mendatiOnS in his annual message.
The subject was revived in 1873. 1876
1000 ..l 1000 I-4 - =.
1899 the house agreed to the proposition.
as it did in the succeeding congress. and
still again in 1898. 1900 and 1902. The
proposed change on none of these oc-
c%asions won 4 favorable report from com
mittccS in the senate.
With the house nus arraycd year after
year in favor Of the change. the senate
became the battle-ground. Senator Bris-
tow Of Kansas. took the lead in advocacy
Of amending the constitution along this
lice. In December, 1909, he introduced his
first resolution. a year later he obtained
a report from the committee. but a fca-
tUrc which had been tackled onto his
proposal which hruunght on 4 fi2ht IN
he senate, threatened TO kill the entire
proposition. his intcrpOScd feature was
to amend other provisions Of the c0nSti-
tuition so a as to deprive the federal gov
crnment Of power to supervise the state
regulations as to the time and manner
Of election The votes of southern >cnat-
ors threatened to defeat the main propo-
SitiOn # the federal government was Civ
~, a.. ,---a. -4 d.
speech. in which ne criticised the method
employed by Southern states in dcpriv-
ing negroes of the right Of suffrage. Sen
ator Bacon replied that the federal gov
"rnmcnt was being given power once
more to enact force bills" and send ar
mics and marShalS into Southern states
70 intimidatc voters. On February ..
Just before the end of the session. the
resolution was defeated by four votes.
Senator BriStow r~cintroduccd the res
%olution in the special session Immediate
IN following. The fight Of the preceding
session was ~rcfought, but this time the
friends Of the resolution wen by a vote
Of q t. =. or five more than the required
tWo-thirdS.
The house had passed u resolution
which made it clear the federal govern
ment was not to interfere with senator
t?l elections in the states. For weeks the
measure was in conference. Finally the
house COnfcrCcS rcccdcd and the house
agreed TO the senate measure BY a vote
Of 231 to SO.
Pryi0US TO this time the several states
had taken the bit in their teeth bv enact
ing laws which in effect did not wait for
4 constitutional amendment on the sub
jcct. Probably the most successful of
these was adopted in Oregon. 1t virtual
lN directed the members Of the lr%uiSla-
'urc to elect the perSOli who received
me majority vote nj the regular election.
when the placing Of the name of a candi-
date for United States senator unon the
tickets was authorized.
The control of legislatures bv great
corporations was assigned bv Senator
BriNtOW as one Of the main reasons for
ihe demanded change.
with the development during recent
times OF the great corporate interests Of
the country" said he. and the increased