Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 July 1903 — DIRECT VOTE FAVORED. [ARTICLE]

DIRECT VOTE FAVORED.

Kwrcmciit for Popular Election of United State* Senator* Grow*. Special dispatches to a Chicago paper from correspondents in every State of th# Union indicate that the movement to elect United State's Senators by popular vote instead of through State Legislatures is growing at an encouraging pace. Twenty-one Legislature* have passed resolutions calling upon Congress to take steps toward the proposed reform. These States are shown in the accompanying table. Aa the change can only be accomplished through an amendment to tbs constitution of the United States, it is necessary for two thirds of the total number of States to apply to Congress for a convention to consider the matter. Congress itself, by a vote of two-thirds of both botises, could propose the change, but with the Untied States Senate a rich man’s club that objects to popular elections to its exclusive ranks, no initiative by Congress is probable, and on four occasions the Senate has refused to consider the matter, after tlie House bad taken the necessary action. The success of the movement therefore depends on the Legislatures. The manner in which amendments to the constitution of the United States can be made is prescribed iu article 5 of the constitution as follows: The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both houses shall deem It necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the Legislatures of two-thirds of the several States, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which In either case shall be valid to all Intents and purposes us part of this Constitution when ratified by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the several States, or by conventions In three-fourths thereof, aa the one or the other mode of ratification maybe proposed by the Congress. Provided, that no amendment which .may be made prior to the year 1808 shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses In the plnth section of the first urtlelo, and that no State, without Its consent, shall be deprived of Its equal suffrage In the Senate. In other words, amendments may be proposed: 1. By Congress whenever two-thirds of both houses think It necessary. . 2. By a convention which must he called by Congress cm the application of two-thirds ,of the States. And the amendments so proposed shall become part of the Constitution when ratified: 1. By the Legislatures of three-fourths of the States. 2. By conventions In three-fourths of the States. Congress to propose which method of ratification shall be adopted. There being now forty-five States, thirty Legislatures must make application for the convention. A bill in favor of direct election is now pending in one of the ten States that have not yet taken any decided action either by vote or in committee, for or against the change. Fourteen States have killed, by vote or in committee, resolutions asking for popular election of Senators. It is evident, therefore, that these doubtful States, which lie in the Mississippi valley and along the Atlantic seaboard, musl form the battle ground of the movement in the future. A significant feature of the table of States that have defeated resolutions iu favor of popular election of Senators, is that it is made up largely of the old and wealthy States of the East. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Maine have declared against it, all except Maine in certain terms; in Maine the matter was recently referred to the next Legislature. Not a State east of the Alleghany Mountains appears in the table of States that have approved the change. Killed in Committee. In several States the Legislature has not taken a vote on the question, the bills having been smothered in committee. This was the case in Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire', Rhode Island, Washington and Wyoming. In Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New l'ork and Florida the matter came to a vote, but was defeated. The Florida Legislature, indeed, passed the bill, but the Governor of the State vetoed It and the veto was sustained. The Massachusetts bill was killed in the State Senate, the result being attributed to the influence of Senator Iloar, who has been the most outspoken opponent of the direct election, proposition in his State. Maine's Legislature has shunned responsibility in the matter, defeating a bill for direct election, with a recommendation that the subject be considered by the next Legislature. Iu Delaware the House passed such a bill, but the Senate took no action on it. Neither house of New York’s Legislature gave a majority for the bill introduced this year. A direct vote bill has been introduced for several years in Indiana, with the same result, indefinite postponement.

States whose Legislatures have taken favorable action: Arkansas. ' Nebraska. .California. Nevada. Idaho. North Carolina. Illinois. North Dakota. Kansas. Oregon. Kentucky. South-Oakota. Louisiana. Tennessee. Michigan. Texas. Minnesota. Utah. Missouri. Wisconsin.* Montana. Total, 21. States whose Legislatures have not yet acted in the matter: Alabama. South Carolina. Colorado. Vermont. Connecticut. Virginia.* Georgia. West Virginia. lowa. Total, 10. New Jersey. •Indicates State in which bill Is pending. States whose Legislatures have taken hostile action: Delaware. New Hampshire. Florida. New York. Indiana. Ohio. Maine (referred to Pennsylvania. next Legislature). Rhode Island. Maryland. Washington. Massachusetts. Wyoming. Mississippi. Total. 14.