Bryan, Wm j

<div>
</div><div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution</a></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Seventeenth Amendment (Amendment XVII) to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution" title="United States Constitution" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">United States Constitution</a> established the popular election of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">United States Senators</a> by the people of the states. The amendment supersedes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_One_of_the_United_States_Constitution#Section_3:Senate" title="Article One of the United States Constitution" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Article I, §3</a>, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_legislature(United_States)" title="State legislature (United States)" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">state legislatures</a>. It also alters the procedure for filling vacancies in the Senate, allowing for state legislatures to permit their governors to make temporary appointments until a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By-election" title="By-election" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">special election</a> can be held.The amendment was proposed by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/62nd_United_States_Congress" title="62nd United States Congress" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">62nd Congress</a> in 1912 and became part of the Constitution in 1913 on ratification by three-fourths (36) of the state legislatures. Sitting Senators were not affected by the Amendment's provisions until their existing terms expired, so the Amendment took six years to fully implement. The transition began with two special elections in 1913 and 1914 - the first in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_special_election_in_Maryland,1913" title="United States Senate special election in Maryland, 1913" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Maryland</a> and the second in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_special_election_in_Alabama,1914" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Senate special election in Alabama, 1914" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Alabama</a>. The transition then began in earnest with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,1914" title="United States Senate elections, 1914" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">November 1914 election</a>, and was complete on 4 March 1919 when the Senators chosen at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,1918" title="United States Senate elections, 1918" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">November 1918 election</a> took office.<div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); padding: 7px; display: table; zoom: 1;"><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><h2 style="background: none; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: 0px; display: inline; line-height: 1.3;">Contents</h2><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox" style="cursor: pointer;" /></div><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Text" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">1Text</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Background" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">2Background</a><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Original_composition" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">2.1Original composition</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Issues" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">2.2Issues</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Calls_for_reform" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">2.3Calls for reform</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Proposal_and_ratification" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">3Proposal and ratification</a><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Proposal_in_Congress" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">3.1Proposal in Congress</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Ratification_by_the_states" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">3.2Ratification by the states</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Effect" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">4Effect</a><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Filling_vacancies" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">4.1Filling vacancies</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#First_direct_elections_to_the_Senate" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">4.2First direct elections to the Senate</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Interpretation_and_advocacy_for_reform_or_repeal" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">4.3Interpretation and advocacy for reform or repeal</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#References" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">5References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Bibliography" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">6Bibliography</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#External_links" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">7External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 linux="Linux" libertine="Libertine" georgia="Georgia" times="Times" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177);">Text</h2></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">...</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Calls for a constitutional amendment regarding Senate elections started in the early 19th century, with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_R.Storrs" title="Henry R. Storrs" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Henry R. Storrs</a> in 1826 proposing an amendment to provide for popular election.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#cite_note-21" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[21]</a> Similar amendments were introduced in 1829 and 1855, with the "most prominent" proponent being <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Johnson" title="Andrew Johnson" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Andrew Johnson</a>, who raised the issue in 1868 and considered the idea's merits "so palpable" that no additional explanation was necessary.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#cite_note-Bybee536-22" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[22]</a> In the 1860s, there was a major Congressional dispute over the issue, with the House and Senate voting to veto the appointment of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_P.Stockton" title="John P. Stockton" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">John P. Stockton</a> to the Senate due to his approval by a plurality of the New Jersey Legislature rather than a majority. In reaction, the Congress passed a bill in July 1866 that required state legislatures to elect senators by an absolute majority.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#cite_note-Bybee536-22" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[22]</a>By the 1890s, support for the introduction of direct election for the Senate had substantially increased, and reformers worked on two fronts. On the first front, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Party(United_States)" title="People's Party (United States)" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Populist Party</a>incorporated the direct election of senators into its <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omaha_Platform" title="Omaha Platform" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Omaha Platform</a>, adopted in 1892.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#cite_note-23" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[23]</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Oregon_ballot_measures#1908" title="List of Oregon ballot measures" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">In 1908</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon" title="Oregon" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Oregon</a> passed the first law that based the selection of U.S. senators on a popular vote. Oregon was soon followed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska" title="Nebraska" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Nebraska</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#cite_note-24" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[24]</a> Proponents for popular election noted that ten states already had non-binding primaries for Senate candidates,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#cite_note-Bybee_1997_p.537-25" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[25]</a> in which the candidates would be voted on by the public, effectively serving as advisory referenda instructing state legislatures how to vote;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#cite_note-Bybee_1997_p.537-25" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[25]</a> reformers campaigned for more states to introduce a similar method.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Randolph_Hearst" title="William Randolph Hearst" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">William Randolph Hearst</a> opened a nationwide popular readership for direct election of U.S. Senators in a 1906 series of articles using flamboyant language attacking "The Treason of the Senate" in his Cosmopolitan Magazine. David Graham Philips, one of the "yellow journalists" whom President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt" title="Theodore Roosevelt" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Teddy Roosevelt</a> called "muckrakers", described <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Aldrich" class="mw-redirect" title="Nelson Aldrich" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Nelson Aldrich</a> of Rhode Island as the principal "traitor" among the "scurvy lot" in control of the Senate by theft, perjury, and bribes corrupting the state legislatures to gain election to the Senate. A few state legislatures began to petition the Congress for direct election of senators. By 1893, the House had the two-thirds vote for just such an amendment. However, when the joint resolution reached the Senate, it failed from neglect, as it did again in 1900, 1904 and 1908; each time the House approved the appropriate resolution, and each time it died in the Senate.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#cite_note-26" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[26]</a>On the second national legislative front, reformers worked toward a constitutional amendment, which was strongly supported in the House of Representatives but initially opposed by the Senate. Bybee notes that the state legislatures, which would lose power if the reforms went through, were supportive of the campaign. By 1910, 31 state legislatures had passed resolutions calling for a constitutional amendment allowing direct election, and in the same year ten <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party(United_States)" title="Republican Party (United States)" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Republican</a> senators who were opposed to reform were forced out of their seats, acting as a "wake-up call to the Senate".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#cite_note-Bybee_1997_p._537-25" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[25]</a>Reformers included <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jennings_Bryan" title="William Jennings Bryan" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">William Jennings Bryan</a>, while opponents counted respected figures such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elihu_Root" title="Elihu Root" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Elihu Root</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Frisbie_Hoar" title="George Frisbie Hoar" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">George Frisbie Hoar</a> among their number; Root cared so strongly about the issue that after the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment, he refused to stand for re‑election to the Senate.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#cite_note-Bybee538-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[11]</a> Bryan and the reformers argued for popular election through highlighting perceived flaws with the existing system, specifically corruption and electoral deadlocks, and through arousing populist sentiment. Most important was the populist argument; that there was a need to "Awaken, in the senators...a more acute sense of responsibility to the people", which it was felt they lacked; election through state legislatures was seen as an anachronism that was out of step with the wishes of the American people, and one that had led to the Senate becoming "a sort of aristocratic body – too far removed from the people, beyond their reach, and with no special interest in their welfare".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#cite_note-27" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[27]</a> The settlement of the West and continuing absorption of hundreds of thousands of immigrants expanded the sense of "the people."...</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div></div>