The May's Act of 1901 - A Legislative Fraud - Oregon

Originally, U.S. Senators were appointed by the assorted state legislatures, not elected by the voters.

A merchandise of the 1901 Legislature, the Willie Willie Mays Act called for a straw ballot at which the people could "choose" their adjacent senator.

While the legislators where under no legal duty to name the people's pick -- after all, assignment of U.S. Senators was mandated by the federal fundamental law -- the Mays Act required that when the legislative assembly gathered to do the appointment, the tax returns of the popular election were to be laid before them.

A stirring show of support for popular government. But, alas, a show is all it was.

The Willie Mays Act proved to be nil more than an effort by the government social class to stave in off the inevitable.

The 1902 straw ballot called for in the Act occurred, but, when the 1903 Legislature gathered to name the adjacent U.S. Senator, the adult male favored by 37 % of the "electorate" in the much-vaunted public election received but light support. The adult male eventually elevated to the U.S. Senate by the Legislature received, at most, just 2 ballots from the people state-wide.

Enter the enterprise power, approved in 1902.

In 1904, the People's Power League initiated an ingenious primary system that, in 1907, allowed Oregonians to go the first Americans to chose their federal senators at the polls.

With one state choosing it's federal senators at the polls, the old assignment system had no opportunity elsewhere. In 1913, the 17th Amendment spreading direct election nationwide.

The moral of this story: An enterprise powerfulness was indispensable to reforming a authorities that had go too corrupt to reform itself.