UNITED STATES SENATE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1154, 15 June 1911, Page 5

UNITED STATES SENATE.

DIRECT ELECTION CARRIED. By Telenrapn-Press Associatkm-CoDyrieht Washington, June 13. The United States Senate, by Gl votes to 21, passed' a resolution in favour of amending the Constitution to provide for tho election of Senators direct by popular voto.

Senator Bristow's amendment, providing for Federal Governmental supervision of such elections, was adopted.

The Vice-President, Senator Sherman, gave his casting vote in favour of the amendment, despite protests.

Under the Constitution, the Vice-Presi-dent of the United States is alfo President of the Senate, but has no vote unless members are equally divided.

CHANGING PUBLIC OPINION. The members of the United States Senate are elected by the Legislatures of the States they represent. The present mode of electing Senators is, in Mr. Roosevelt's opinion, a relic due to the same feeling tnat caused the construction of an eloc--'toraT'cSllego. for the election of President and Vice-President, because it was thought dangerous to elect by direct popular vote. In practice, tho electoral college has came a purely nominal institution, and no harm would result, from its abolition, f "None of the evils prophesied," said the i ex-President, "has resulted from the , change in the'case of ihe. President, and , tho sain?- thins, I am perfectly sure, will happen ,vhen tho change is made as regards Senators." That this is fast com- 1 ing to be tho opinion of the country ] at large is increasingly evident. Accord- ■ ing to the Columbus (0.) "News," thirty State legislatures have voted to memoria- 1 lise Congress asking that an amendment '• providing for tho change bo submitted. < The latest legislature to so vote, that of . Ohio, vras unanimous in both branches j in its favour. This leaves but one more State—if the "News" has kept a correct tally—necessary to mako the two-thirds 1 which would make it compulsory upon Congress either to propose tho rerjuisite amendment or to call a convention for that purpose. Four times the House of Representatives has passed resolutions to propose such an amendment. Never until 1 this year has the resolution been even reported out to the Senate by its judiciary , committee.