Arizona republican., 1913-04-09
DIRECT CHOICE OF SENATORS
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 would still be preserved if the peO- pie of the entire state, instead of the legislature. chose the senators, and this view has now been accepted as the basis of the new system.
 In 1926, the first action was taken in congress looking to a change. In that year Representative StOrrs. of New York, introduced a resolution making senators elective by the peo- pie. Another resolution of similar import was introduced by Represen- tatiVe Wright, of Ohio. in 1929. In 1850 Senator Clemens, of Alabama, introduced the first senatorial direct election resolution in the senate. Nothing resulted from these move ments.
 It was Andrew Johnson who re- vived congressional agitation for the direct election of senators. As member of the house of representa- tives he introduced two resolutions for the change. and in 1860 renewed the agitation as a member of the senate. In 1868 as president, he sent a special message to congress advocating the measure, and then re- pcated his recommendations in his annual message.
 The subject was revived in 1873, 1876. 1886 and 1888, but without sue cess In 1893 the house agreed to the proposition. as it did in the sue ceeding congress. and still again in
 
 change on none of these occasions won a favorable report from com mittees in the senate.
 With the house thus arrayed year after year in favor of the change, the senate became the battle-ground. Senator BristoW. of Kansas, took the lead in advocacy of amending tthe constitution along this line. In Dec ember. 1909, he introduced his first resolution. A year later he obtained a report from the committee, but q feature had been tackled onto his proposal which brought on fight in the senate threatened to kill the entire proposition. This interposed feature was to amend other proVi- sions of the constitution so as to de prive the federal government of power to supervise the state regula- tions as to the time and manner of election The votes of southern sena- tors threatened to defeat the main proposition if the federal govern ment was given this power Senator Root made a speech in which he criticised the method employed by the southern states in depriVing ne groes of the right of suffrage. Sena tor 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 intimidate voters On February 2S. just before the end of the session. the resOlu tion was defeated by four votes
 Senator BristoW reintroduced the resolution in the special session inn ni,-dis eiN io fIg. IT,, eier-. the preceding session was refought. but this time the friends of the reso- luton won by q vote of 64 to A. CT five more than the required tWo- tnIru-.
 The house had passed a resolution which made it clear the federal gov crnment was not to interfere with senatorial election in the states. For weeks the measure was in confer ence. Finally the house conferees rcceded and the house agreed to the senate measure by a vote of 237 to 39.
 Prevous to this time the several states had taken the bit in their teeth by enacting laws which in ef- feet did not wait for a constitutional amendment on the subject. Probably the most successful of these was adopted in Oregon. Ii virtually di rected the members of the legislature