The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-30
GARDENERS NEEDLESS FEARS.

Senator Gardner, who is also Presi
dent OF tho State Senate, is entirely
within his rights in opposing the ratifi-
cation Of the proposed amendment to
the Federal Constitution which would
provide for the election Of U. S. Sena-
| tors by the people OF the several
| States. But If he has no better reason
| for such opposition than he displays
/ when he explains that his opposition is
based upon the idea that were such an
amendment ratified 1t would give i'm
petus. validity, or strength 20 a
proposition to change the makeup OF
the L. S. Senate and regulate It's mem-
bership on a basis Of population, then
he had better abandon his opposition
incontinently, and come to the sup.
port of the measure; for since by the
Constitution itself "no State. without
its consent, shall be deprived OF its
equal suffrage in the Senate, any
such change IN the composition of the
Senatorial body as Senator Gardner
fears is absolutely impossible The
Constitution expressly retains for the
State of Utah. as for all other States,
an equality of votes in the Senate. This
II cannot be deprived Of. save by its
express consent, and to suppose that it
would consent TO deprive itself of an
equal voice with other States in tho
Senate is too extravagant an idea TO
consider.
Opposition to that proposed amend
mcnt would be quite plausible if Sen
stor Gardner should say that he OBJ
jccts TO it because il is irrelevant and
unnecessary; for, since any State can,
in fact, elect its Senators by popular
vote. and many actually do so, the
necessity for this amendment entirely
disappears. The State Of Oregon bal.
lots at every election when a Sena-
tofial vacancy is coming on, as to the
choice Of the people for Senator, and
tho Legislature which is elected at that
same election, rati6es the choice de
clared by the people: and although the
Legislature which has just elected n
Senator in Oregon is Republican, IL
elected a Democrat 10 the u. s. Senate,
because that Democrat was the choice
Of the people at the election; and so at
a previous election whom Mr. Chamb ber-
lain, tho present Democratic member |
Republican Legislature. In most OF
the States of the South the people al |
primaries declare their choice for Sen.
ators, and all that the Legislatures |
have TO do is formally TO ratify that |
choice.
The system works without friction or
opposition. Ii can be introduced in |
any State, so that there is no need for |
a State that wants the popular election |
of Senators TO delay or await the rati- |
fcation OF this amendment. There |
fore, there is perfectly open and |
good reason for opposing the ratifca-
tion Of that amendment; since II is not |
good policy, politics, or civic admins
tration to do things that are needless
and that are intended to bring about |
results which are perfectly easy to
reach without tho constitutional change
Utah, for instance, can at any time
it chooses, submit the Senatorial candi-
dacy TO popular vote, and require the
Legislature TO ratify the choice made
by the people, in tho formal banoting
which the Constitution as it Is re-
9uires. That is sufficient, and on that
basis Senator Gardner can reconcile his
opposition in reason, in law, and in