The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-10
THE SEVENTEENTH AMENDMENT

Those who have been making suci
an outcry about the difficulty, not tc
say impossibility, of amending th'
Constitution of the United States, must
stand confoundod by tho quickness anc
certainty with which two amendment
to the Constitution have been ratified
within about three years. In fact, the
latter amendment, which will be the
seventeenth, has been brought to per
fection with such celerity as to leave
no possible ground of objection on &C
count OF the tediousness of amending
the Constitution. Within about two
years the whole matter has been insti-
tuted and completed.
The first amendment, which has been
proclaimed az the sixteenth, is the
amendment specifically providing for
an income tax. The second one re-
| ferred to. which will be the seven.
teenth amendment. provides for the
the people in the various States.
The Utah Legislature, at it's recent ses-
sion, refused to ratify this popular
election amendment, just as it had re-
fused to ratify the income tax amend
meut. although the party having the
Legislature completely Of its own mem
bers had expressly promised in it's
State platform this ratification; so that
the Utah Legislature, in refusing TO
ratify the income-tax amendment COM
mitted an act of bad faith toward
the people who had elected that Lcgis.
lature on the specific promise Of that
ratification. The Utah Legislature also
refused to ratify tho popular election
amendment. apparently on the ridiculous
notion that it would deprive the States
of their equality in the Senate. But
since no State can be deprived of its
equal representation in the Senate, ex-
cept by its own consent. the ground for
refusing to ratify was absurd.
The State that finally made the popu-
lar election of Senators ratification eff
on the eighth day Of the present month.
Rhode Island and Pennsylvania had
ratified just previously, these three
notifications being in addition to the
thirty-three recorded heretofore. AS
finally made effective, this amend
ment was ratified by the States of
Arizona, Arkansas, California. Colo
RADIO. Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, In
diana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massa-
chusetts. Michigan, Minnesota, Mis-
souri,, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico,
New York. North Carolina, North Da-
kota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsyl-
vanis, Rhode Island, South Dakota,
Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Vir-
ginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming-36,
These States making the thirty-si1
necessary, being three-fourths Of the
total number of States, which is forty
eight, makes this amendment part of
the Constitution. 1t is likely as in the
case Of the income tax amendment,
that other States viii add their ratifi
cation later or, but sufficient number
of States having now. ratified, any
further ratification will be super huous,
except as showing the approval by
Stutes thus ratfying OF the proposition
already carried.
The amendment. which will be the
seventeenth amendment TO the Federal
Constitution, reads as follows:
The Senate OF the United States shall
be composed OF two Senators from each
State, elected by the people thereof, for
six years: and each Senator shall have
one vote. The electors In each State
shall have the qualifications requisite for
electors Of the most numerous branch
OF the State legislatures
When vacancies happen In the repre-
sentation Of any State I'm the Senate,
the executive authority Of such State
shall issue Writs Of election to fill such
vaca ncics. provided that the legislature
OF any state may empower the cXecu-
tive thereof 20 make temporary appoint
ments until the people III the vacancies
by election as the legislature may direct.
Short and decisive it is. in the only
change made. but absolute and thor
oughly effective.
AS applied 10 Utah, this amendment
will undoubtedly break up the old boss
rule, and if Smoot should have the
temerity to announce his candidacy be-
fore the people for reelection, ne will
hear something to his ad
and also learn something that
will be of immense advantage to the
people of this State.