-Source-The Hill-
Come November, voters will choose one-third of the U.S. Senators, but as the campaign season starts, there’s a push to repeal a constitutional amendment that shapes each election.
It’s a story of the 17th Amendment — which was ratified 105 years ago this month. Instead of having state legislatures choose senators, the amendment gave that power directly to the voters.
It’s also a story of how the change hinged largely on the biblically-inspired efforts of one man who is largely misunderstood.
William Jennings Bryan.
Bryan embraced the measure in his first campaign for Congress in 1890, and twice voted for it while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. As three-time Democratic nominee for President (1896, 1900, 1908), he insisted on its prominent inclusion in the party’s national platform. Read more
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