Why did Lincoln and Douglas debate?
Dear Cecil: In 1858 Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas traipsed back and forth across the state of Illinois conducting the famous “Lincoln-Douglas debates,” supposedly in a campaign for election to the U.S. Senate. However, the constitutional provision in effect at the time provided that U.S. senators were to be elected by state legislatures. Not until passage of the 17th amendment in 1913 were senators elected by popular vote. So why were Lincoln and Douglas wasting their time and money traveling around speaking to voters when they could have more profitably occupied themselves offering bribes to members of the Illinois legislature? — Charles T.
Dear Cecil: In 1858 Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas traipsed back and forth across the state of Illinois conducting the famous “Lincoln-Douglas debates,” supposedly in a campaign for election to the U.S. Senate. However, the constitutional provision in effect at the time provided that U.S. senators were to be elected by state legislatures. Not until passage of the 17th amendment in 1913 were senators elected by popular vote. So why were Lincoln and Douglas wasting their time and money traveling around speaking to voters when they could have more profitably occupied themselves offering bribes to members of the Illinois legislature? — Charles T., Chicago Dear Charles: Too bad you weren’t around in 1858. I can just see Abe and Steve slapping their heads and saying, “I knew we were doing this the hard way.” But the debates weren’t a complete waste of time. It’s true that prior to 1913 U.S. senators were elected by state legislatures. But the members of those legislatures were themse
