THE ROLL CALL
The Roll Call ON MEN AND MEASURES "By the People" or by "Jack-Pot"---Which? THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES demand the right to elect their United States Senators by a direct vote. The Senate...
...NOT VOTING, 15...
...He arose to complain of the urgency with which Senator Borah was pressing the resolution...
...On this motion Senators by voting for executive session voted in opposition to the amendment of the Constitution demanded by the people...
...Special Circumstances" Force Consideration IN THE NEXT SESSION, the first regular session of the Sixtieth Congress, Senator Bristow of Kansas introduced a similar resolution, which was referred this time to the Senate Committee on Judiciary...
...Early in the First Session of the present Congress, Senator Gore of Oklahoma introduced a similar joint resolution, which was referred to the same committee and met a like fate...
...Davis, Money, Stephenson, The Penrose motion was defeated, but then it was urged that the Senator from Massachusetts, Mr...
...Lodge, and the Senator from New York, Mr...
...The fact that this was objected to was conclusive to my mind that it was the intention of some one that the joint resolution should not pass at all during the short session...
...The resolution was laid aside...
...The Senator was not even allowed in a decent and orderly manner to discuss his resolution on the floor of the Senate...
...This is a matter which has been up for consideration in one form or another before the American people and before Congress for 85 years...
...The resolution went upon the calendar and on the 13th of last month it was reached as the "regular order" of the Senate...
...Carter Opposes "Hasty" Action THE REMARKS of Senator Carter of Montana explain somewhat the embarrassment of the situation...
...On the 3d of February, after the resolution had been before the Senate for twenty days, Senator Borah moved its consideration...
...In this manner, within two or three of a sufficient number of States have acted to force Congress to call a convention...
...Clark, Wyo., Curtis, Guggenheim, Page, Crane, Depew, Hale, Penrose, Cullom, Dick, Heyburn, Richardson, Brandegee, Dillingham, Kean, Root, Bulkeley, du Pont, Lodge, Scott, Burnham, Flint, Lorimer, Smoot, Burrows, Frye, McCumber, Warner, Burton, Gallinger, Nelson, Warren, Carter, Gamble, Oliver, Wetmore...
...In part he said: "Mr...
...If we could agree upon a day certain when the vote could be taken, I would unhesitatingly give any reasonable time, but without that I feel that we ought to proceed...
...The people in more recent years, taking due notice of the attitude of the Senate, have started out to avail themselves of the provision of the Constitution which provides for its amendment without the consent of the Senate, by resolutions of state legislatures demanding that a constitutional convention be called for the purpose of amending the constitution in this respect...
...All such memorials the august "American House of Lords" has up to the present session answered by contemptuously ignoring them...
...If the passage of the resolution in the Senate shall be defeated or delayed until the crowded, closing hours of the Congress, so that its defeat in the House may be accomplished through manipulation of the Cannon machine, the responsibility will rest upon those Senators who voted for delays, for adjournments and executive sessions to prevent consideration of an action upon this constitutional amendment so widely demanded by the people...
...Brought to a Vote FEBRUARY 1, Senator Borah again attempted to get the resolution up for action...
...When, in the last Congress...
...Senator Borah was allowed to report from the committee on judiciary, with a recommendation fob its passage, a resolution for the election of United States Senators by vote of the people...
...To meet the request of Senators for deliberation, in order that the resolution might be studied and considered, Senator Borah asked unanimous consent agreement that on January 24, eleven days later, the resolution be voted upon...
...I think, however, it is wise to give this important matter due consideration...
...Appropriation bills would be coming in and other matters would crowd in these closing weeks...
...In urging the matter today I was actuated particularly by the fact that we are dealing with a short session, and I want to say that I am wholly without information that it is the intention of some who are opposed to the joint resolution that a vote shall never be taken during this session...
...Playing Politics THE OPPONENTS of the resolution, by advocating the Sutherland and Depew "force bill" amendments, by "baiting" Senators from the South and drawing them into discussion, not of the resolution for direct election of Senators, but of federal supervision of local elections, have gained much towards their obvious purpose of delaying fatally action upon the resolution...
...If this resolution shall pass the Senate in time to be acted upon by the House before the end of this Congress on March 4, the credit will be due to Senator Borah and the Progressive Republicans and Democrats who have stood with him in support of the resolution...
...The Senate itself, controlled by System reactionaries, has been the one great stumbling block to this reform...
...In one way or another, nearly three-fourths of the States by their legislatures have expressed themselves in favor of the change...
...He was not in favor of allowing the Senate to consider it even...
...He did not desire to deliberate upon the subject then...
...it will not pass without full consideration of amendments such as the Senator from Utah (Sutherland) has suggested, and other amendments...
...Aldrich, Gore, Piles, Sutherland, Bradley, Johnston, Rayner, Taylor, Briggs, Martin, Smith, Md., Young...
...It was "considered in the Senate" on January 13th, 16th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 24th, 26th, 30th, 31st, February 1st, 3d, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th, which is the last report up to the present writing...
...Only six weeks remained of the session, one of which must be given over to memorial services for deceased members of the Senate...
...From that time until the present, the resolution has been before the Senate for consideration...
...Bacon, Clapp, Jones, Simmons, Bailey, Clark, Ark., La Follette, Smith, Mich., Bankhead, Crawford, Newlands, Smith, S. C, Beveridge, Culberson, Nixon, Stone, Borah, Cummins, Overman, Swanson, Bourne, Dixon, Owen, Taliaferro, Bristow, Fletcher, Paynter, Terrell, Brown, Foster, Percy, Thornton, Burkett, Frazier, Perkins, Tillman, Chamberlain, Gronna, Shively, Watson...
...Which is another and most conspicuous reason for the change...
...The roll call was as follows: FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION, 36...
...Old Guard" Use Dilatory Tactics THE ALDRICH MACHINE, so eager to force through the Senate without consideration or explanation a tariff bill demanded by the Interests, now demands the fullest discussion, the most careful deliberation, the most liberal opportunity for Senators to discuss the constitutional bearing and effect of a simple resolution demanded overwhelmingly by the people of the country...
...So, Senator Borah's resolution had to give way to "real legislation"—the Gallinger ship subsidy bill which the "leaders" had worked into a position of parliamentary advantage...
...The Senate itself stands almost alone in opposition to it...
...To prevent consideration of the resolution, Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania came forward with a privileged motion that the Senate proceed in secret session to the consideration of appointments...
...Senator Owen moved to bring his resolution for popular election of Senators out of the pigeonholes of the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections and before the Senate for consideration, Senator Carter was one of those who voted against the motion...
...Again, on the 16th of January, Senator Borah sought to get a unanimous consent agreement that a vote should be taken on the resolution on the 31st of January...
...In the last Congress a resolution for the submission of an amendment to the Constitution, providing for popular election of Senators, was introduced and urged in the Senate by Senator Owen of Oklahoma...
...Delay at this stage would serve the end of defeating popular election of Senators as well as successful and open opposition, and would be much less embarrassing to many of them...
...That being true, the lecture of the Senator from Montana (Mr...
...His colleague, Senator Heyburn, was willing that it be taken up for discussion, but objected if the purpose of the discussion was to dispose of the resolution, and the resolution went over...
...By a vote of 33 to 20 on a roll call, the resolution was referred to the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections, never to appear again...
...Senator Owen also re-introduced his resolution, which was referred to the same committee and not reported, and his efforts on the floor of the Senate on the 14th of June, 1910, to obtain a vote expressing the sentiment of the Senate that the committee should report the resolution were in vain...
...Senator Hale of Maine declared, "It will be resisted...
...For years State legislatures have been memorializing Congress to adopt a resolution submitting to the States an appropriate amendment to the Federal Constitution to accomplish popular election of Senators...
...Senator Carter's candidacy for re-election is pending before the legislature of Montana, which has memorialized Congress in behalf of such an amendment to the Federal Constitution...
...Root, desired to speak upon the resolution and that, under the usage of the Senate, action upon it should be deferred...
...It has been discussed in the public forum, discussed in this Chamber by some of the ablest men who have ever occupied seats here, discussed at length in the House of Representatives, and discussed throughout the newspaper realm of the country for years and years...
...Upon the Ayes and Nays being demanded by Senator La Fol-lette, the Senate refused to adjourn in order to side-track the consideration of the resolution...
...But now it is different...
...And so, from day to day, action on the people's resolution has been prevented though the Interest's ship subsidy was passed...
...When it came up on the 13th of January, Kean of New Jersey and Gal-linger of New Hampshire clamored for recognition to prevent consideration of the resolution...
...For a while it seemed destined to the same fate that had befallen its predecessors...
...FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE RESOLUTION, 40...
...In two paragraphs, Senator Borah disposed of the plea for "deliberation" upon this measure, as follows: "Mr...
...it will not pass without debate...
...Sutherland of Utah and De-few of New York came forward with amendments in the nature of "force bills" providing for federal supervision of elections to make the resolution impossible for Senators from southern States to support...
...Less than three working weeks remain of the present session of Congress...
...Repeated prod-dings by the Senator from Kansas, together with the tendency of Senatorial elections in various State legislatures which had memorialized Congress in behalf of such a resolution, and the further important fact that, perhaps through lack of usual foresight on the part of "Boss" Aldrich in making up committees, Senator Borah, Progressive Republican from Idaho, had been placed upon the Committee on Judiciary, were "special circumstances" in the case, and finally, in the present session of Congress, happened the impossible...
...Again, Senator Hey-burn of Idaho was constrained to object...
...Specious argument, filibustering amendments and "Senatorial courtesy" have been invoked to prevent action upon it...
...Carter) does not fall so heavily upon me as otherwise it might...
...That time may be given for consideration, and that no undue haste should be manifested as to this matter, I move that the Senate do now adjourn...
...Its wisdom and justice is abundantly proved by a mere reference to the protracted "deadlocks" and contests which, for many weeks past, have occupied the time of several State legislatures, and to the revelations of corruption and "jackpot" government growing out of the election of one Senator, the discussion of which has occupied most of the time of the Senate during the present session, and in which a favorite argument of "the defense," advanced repeatedly by Senators on the floor, has been that such conditions are not exceptional in the election of United States Senators chosen as now prescribed by the Constitution...
...President, I expect to vote for this joint resolution in some form or other...
...Now the Senator from Montana desires to appear as favoring popular election of Senators, though, of course, he is opposed to hasty action...
...The System wanted delay, but it did not want an agreement to vote...
...Where Responsibility Rests SENATOR BORAH has been for nearly a month pressing this resolution upon the consideration of the Senate at every opportunity...
...Heyburn of Idaho objected...
...President, I suggested a short time ago that a date far removed into the future be fixed for the final consideration of this joint resolution and the amendments thereto...
...At least 31 States in the Union have approved of the principle covered by this joint resolution, and I have assumed that everyone has practically come to a conclusion with reference to this matter, important as it is...
...My vote will be cast in obedience to the request of the legislature of the State of Montana, rather than in conformity with any deliberation on my own part on the subject up to the present time...
Vol. 3 • February 1911 • No. 7
