<>but the problem was that the State’ politicians had entrenched their own power structures (still have in a way) so the only way to break through that logjam was to take the power of the senate election out of the state legislatures and to the people directly.<>
That was not an element of the arguments to popularize the senate.
Ackchually - if you read your own article - it says exactly what I said -
“ Progressives’ complaints fell into four broad categories: legislative deadlock, bribery/corruption, populism/progressivism, and political forces at the state level.”
Deadlock, corruption and political forces at the state level -
IE entrenched political power structures.
Now the flaw to the argument is if the progressives literally had faith that the people would vote themselves liberty at the federal level with different senators then why didn’t they have faith in the people voting liberty in their state governments?