The Washington herald., 1907-12-26

| 70 Antin. II tue SlAilell congress now III
session were permitted 20 vote on all the
bills that have been introduced were 10
answer that crucial question with a
Yes" the Constitution Of the United
States would be a thing of the past and
the public laws would read Ike the an
nual from an asylum for the insane as
edited By the inmates. II every amend
ment TO the Constitution which has been
proposed in Congress in the past ten
years had been approved by that body
and ratified By the States no important
provision Of that ancient document would
now be effective.
II Congress should pass only those
revolutionary bills introduced In the first
three weeks Of the present session we
would have postmasters and Federal
judges elected by the people the ancient
punishment Of civil ostracism would be
revived. the Philippines would be free.
the protective tariff would be no more,
/ cigarettes could not cross State line. a
censorship Of advertising would be estap-
lished, the enacting power would be taken
from the Congress and given directly 70
the people, the right TO print market
sand and one other strange and fan
tastic things would happen in this great
land OF the free and home of the brave.
In fact, if the reader viii think for an
hour. recalling every strange fancy or
theory for promoting the general wei
fare or checking evil. he will hardly
think OF a single proposition that does
not now appear in the shape Of a bill
introduced in the Sixtieth Congress
Perhaps the mose unusual proposition
introduced at this session is a joint reso-
luton proposing an amendment 70 the
Constitution whereby the people can de-
pose any. official they have elected When
one-third Of the voters living within the
boundaries OF the territory covered by
any elected official sign a petition asking
for his removal there must be another
election called 70 determine whether the
official shall be removed or not. II the
majority vote for his removal his place
becomes vacant and an election 10 III il
must be called. II the majority vote 70
retain him he is retained. but nothing is
interposed 20 prevent the One-third peti-
tioning his removal again This would
carry US back almost 20 the days OF
ostracism and the time when an illit-
crate peasant asked Aristides the Just
10 write the name OF Aristides upon his
shell. not knowing that u was Aristides
Of whom he was making the request.
When the leader had thus written his
own name for ostracism he asked the
peasant what wrong Aristides had ever
done him. 70 which the iliterate man
replied. None: I do not even know him;
but I am tired Of hearing him called the
Just The proponent Of this measure
Is a new member. Mr.. Fulton, Of Okla
homa. a brother. by the way, OF Senator
Fulton. OF Oregon
Mr.. Fulton is rather busy man He
has proposed in the three weeks that he
has been a member OF the House. some
half dozen amendments 10 the Federal
Constitution. Another proposition that he
makes is that the power Of the enacting
clause shall be taken out OF the hands OF
Congress and vested directly in the pe0-
pie He has worked OUT about the most
Initiating initiative and referring referen-
DUN that the world has ever seen
Another member who goes in for re-
forming the old Constitution IS William
Bailey Lamar. Of Florida. a nephew OF
the distinguished Mississippi soldier.
statesman. and jurist. l. Q. c. Lamar
Ar Lamar proposes that all postn asters
shall be elected by the people. and that
Federal judges shall be elected in the
same way. lie proposes 10 have the coUn-
Try laid OF into post-of1ce districts. and
the postmasters elected by direct vote for
a term OF four years. all vacancies TO be
filed By election the President having
the right 70 IN them only until an cleo
ton can be held.
The repeal OF the Fourteenth and FIJI
teenth Amendments furnished the basis
Of a half dozen joint resolutions. and
several have been offered providing that
the Constitution be so amended as 20
permit the taxation Of incomes and in
heritances, the latter TO be progressive to
such an extent as 70 prevent the trans
mission Of swollen fortunes There have
been a dozen resolutions introduced 10
amend the Constitution so that Senators
shall be elected by the people And 50
the grind goes on. In the Fifty-ninth
Congress there were more than fifty
amendments 10 the Constitution pro-
posed. and they embraced all Of those
above mentioned except the one offered
by Representative Fulton. providing for
separating an official and his Office BY
popular vote. Besides these there were
propositions to change the organic law
so that il would regulate the hours OF
labor; 10 extend the Presidential term
two years; to change the date of cleo
tions and Of the assembling Of Congress.
and even a proposition 70 amend the
Constitution so that the United States
could insure the lives Of its citizens. The
proponent Of this amendment was none
other than David A. De Almond, OF
Missouri.
William W. KItchin, Of North Caro-
lima, probably holds the record in pro-
posing amendments to the Constitution.
He offered three IN a single day early
in the Fifty-ninth Congress. II is
rather strange coincidence that the
records show that about three out of
four OF the amendments proposed in re-
cent years were offered by Democrats.
And fully nine out Of ten were offered
in the House rather than in the Senate.
But very few amendments have been
proposed BY members OF that body in
recent years. The most popular
amendment proposed. judged from the
number who propose II at every ses-
sion. IS the one TO elect Senator'S by
popular vote. In spite Of the fact that
most of the States have found a way
10 get around the constitutional re-
quirement that Senators be elected by
the legislatures through Senatorial pri-
maries, this amendment is still popular
in the House. But the Senate never
deigns TO notice IL, except sometimes a
man like the late Senator HOar will
speak out against the tendency to dis
narage the Sanata and 10 chanc-a tl-n