The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-18
ANOTHER uF THOSE AMEND
NIENTS.

Proposals to amend the Constitution
of the United States are of such ire
u,lent occurrence that they ordinarily
attract little, If any. attention. Every
crank VINO has an ism brings forward
an amendment to the Constitution. which
shall compel all the American people
To wear their coats according to the cut
he NEST favors, or to use corn brcad
on their breakfast tables whether they
eat wheat bread or do not.
Sometimes. however, amendments are
brought forward which require notice,
and this is the case with one just In
troduced into the House of Representa-
tives by Mr.. Ray, OF New York, to which
we ma1e humorous reference ycster-
day. But MIR. Ray is chairman of the
Committee on Judicinary of the House,
and his proposal demands serious con-
sideration. for whatever he says in re-
gard to our fundamental law will
naturally command attention, and it
deals with a subject that is now upper
most in the public mind and falls into
the current as the public mind is now
running. It is as follows:
..Resolved, etc. That the following
article be proposed to the legislatures
of the several States as an amendment
to the Constitutions:
eArticle XVI. The Congress shall have
power to regulate and repress monopo-
lies and combinations: to create and dis
solve corpora tons and dispose of their.
property. ana to make all laws neces-
sary ard proper to exercise of the fore
going powers. Such powers may dc
exercised by the several States in any
manner not in conflict with the laws
of the United States.
If it were possible to make this
part of the Constitution Of the United
government of federal union, and would
at once convert us into vast CONSOLE
dated empire. ruled from the centre as
effectually as China is, and it would.
no doubt, lead in short time to q
corrupt and degraded central govern
ment like Chira's, that plundered the
people at its Will, to squander the booty
amongst pa1npered fayorites.
The beauty of our system of govern
1nent and its strength and power as an
agency that cultivates the spirit OF lib
erty and pushes forward all the steps
Of progress lies in the fact that loea!
matters and interests are all under
local control while what affects al! in
the same way is placed under the control
of a central government. in which al
tn{s =
produces individuality, independence
amongst the people and separate and
almost ccntendins Institutions with but
few miles separating them. No people
-educa1ed to that system of life viii
ever fall into the customs of one living
upon a fiat and dead level, and ready,
therefore, to submit tamely to whatever
emanaacs from its central authority.
But Mr. Ray proposes to change all
this He proposes to give Congress au-
thority 40 lcgislate concerning all the
domestic affairs of the people, and to
send United States marshal into every
citizens house to summon him before
a United States Court to give an account
OF MS lraHSaCllOHS4 whenever tSol4e eii-
vious business rival may complain that
that citizen and another have pooled
their energies and resources because they
could do better in partnership than they
could do when acting separately.
We have NO fear that the people Of
the United states will ever sanction such
a proposition as this. but attention ought
to, be called to it. especially since the
commission bill passed.
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