The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-28

degree Of Capitalization is practicable
than with us England has an "unwrit-
ten" constitution Gan apparent anom-
alI}, composed merely Of q moss Of pre-
uaiiy and constantly changing to meet
new conditions. France has a very clear
and practicable written constitution,
suited to her extremely centralized sys-
tenn Of government, and perfected by
he< experience during several revolu-
iuus, az well az by observation Of the
constitutaons Of other countries espe-
eiany our own, which was drawn be-
fore the establishment Of the first
French Republic.
England and France, ae well as many
other countries with constitutional gov
ernments. have another marked advan-
tage over us in the fact that their min
istries are chosen from members of the
representative bodies, and are thus more
directly responsible, as they retain &heir
seats in the upper or lower house, as the
co.. may be. are able TO look after tho
interests Of their respective depart
ments during debates and may be called
on at any time to answer questions
aboTt the affairs of their departments.
One can understand the effect Of such
a system by eHpposing the members Of
our Presidents cabinet to be chosen
from the members Of tho Senate and
! House Of REPRESENTATIVES,, in which
bodies thay wuuld retain their seats and
votes.
a general Discussion would naSuraIfy
lead TO the suggestion Of many amend
ments TO our Constitution, some of
which would provo to be good, and some
that q majority of our citizens would
today vote In favor Of amendments
which would secure the following re-
suits.
l. A congress more directly respon-
sTble to the people, the lower house, at
least, being elected within month be-
fore the ooeniuC Of the first session, in
stead Of thirteen months before, as at
present
(The existing plan was designed at a
time when q country of vast extent was
without railroads or telegraph ines).
o Clear definitions of the powers
and duties of the General Government
with respect to:
(b) Regulation Of interstate com
(cN Regulation Of corporations.
(d) Control Of questions arising be
tween the several States and citizens Of
foreign states.
An efficient national militia
8. A more simple and effective meth
cd Of amending the Constitution from
Lilly w tlillc DIS oSSuSlOh IutSul itNullc
Possibly provision for Constitutional
convention. TO be held, say every ten
years. would be desirable. in addition to
provision for such amendments as
might be found necessary in the inter
walls.
We are becoming very fully awakened
to the necessity OF some action. The
situation is becoming deplorable to our
selves and absurd in the eyes of people
of other countries. Much of what seems
to a layman to he an lnsuferably slow.
and at times an obstructive course OF
procedure in the United States courts
can be traced to their desperate efforts
to apply to some OF the problems of the
day clauses of the Constitution which
were written with reference to other
and very different matters. For in
stance, the DIVISION in the 5th amend
ment, against deriving any person of
his property without due process of
law Gncluded also, with other provi
sions. in the 14th amendment), has been
invoked Of late for quite remote pur~
poses, and from recent decisions OF the