UNITED STATES SENATORS. 733 



2. Election by the people. 



3. Election by the legislatures. 



Alexander Hamilton urged, as an amendment, that the members should be 

 chosen by electors chosen by the people of the States, and that they should 

 serve during good behavior. Pinckney proposed a term of three years. The 

 committee of the whole digested these propositions, and reported in favor of 

 a " second branch " ; the members of which were to be elected by the legis- 

 latures for seven years, and to be ineligible to any office for a year after the 

 expiration of their term, and the number was to be in proportion to the popu- 

 lation. 



This was the shape in which it appears in the first draft of the Constitu- 

 tion. June 24-25, 1787, the convention adopted the report of the committee, 

 except that the term was changed from seven to six years, and the ineligibility 

 clause was stricken out. The convention then entered upon a protracted 

 struggle as to the representation of each State, and various propositions were 

 urged. One scheme gave Rhode Island and Delaware each one, and Virginia 

 five, with the other States proportioned between these. Dr. Franklin pro- 

 posed that each State have an equal representation, with a vote on money bills 

 proportionate to its share of the taxes. Delaware threatened to withdraw from 

 the confederation if the small States were not given an equal representation, 

 and finally, after the debate had gone on for six weeks, the plan of giving each 

 State two members was adopted, and the small States concentrated their 

 efforts upon giving the " second branch " the utmost power and importance. 

 August 6 the name "Senate 11 was formally given the "second branch." 

 September 6 the office of Vice-President was agreed upon, and he was made 

 the presiding officer of the Senate, in order to give him something to do. 

 The Constitution was finally adopted September 17. 



The Farmers' Alliance platform confines itself to a mere demand for the 

 election of senators by the people, and does not specify how this is to be 

 done. Here is opportunity for a wide diversity of opinion. Shall it be by 

 the whole vote of a State, as a governor is elected, or shall each State be 

 divided into two senatorial districts? Shall the present rule of two senators 

 for each State large or small continue, or shall each State have a vote 

 in the Senate in proportion to its population? 



Before any change can be made it will be necessary to get section 3, article 

 i, of the Constitution amended. This reads : 



" The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two senators from 

 each State, chosen by the legislature thereof, for six vears, and each senator 

 shall have one vote." 



To secure this amendment it will be necessary to have it proposed by two- 

 thirds of the members of both houses of Congress, and it must then be ratified 

 by the legislatures of three-fourths of the States. That is, assuming that the 

 house will consist of 356 representatives, it will have to receive the votes of 

 234 representatives and 59 senators, and be ratified by the legislatures of 33 

 States. 



