The Progs over-hyped corruption in the pre-17th Senate of which it did not eliminate or reduce. Pre-17A, the senate was deliberative. Three term popular reps in the senate have done enormous harm to the republic.
See: A Senate of the States - The 17th Amendment.
Direct elections are popularity contests that have allowed the media and unscrupulous Dems to regularly steal several Senate seats in conservative states. See Alabama, Alaska, Minnesota, New Jersey, North and South Dakota.