The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-09
CONSTITUTION REVISING.

The Tribune the other day quotec
with approval an article written by
Mr.. William w. Turley for the Twcn
tieth Century Magazine, urging a new
Constitutional convention to work ove1
the National Constitution The rea
sons given by Mr.. Turley were very
strong, and we suggested in the same
line that periodical revision of the
Constitution to bring it up to date
would be desirable
The Logan Journal does not agree
with this, and thinks that the advance
OF the country in methods of transmit
ting intelligence and of transportation
and commerce have nothing to do with
the principles of the Constitution
That, however, Is exactly where our
Logan contemporary fails to grasp the
point. These things are exactly where
the Constitution needs remodeling.
They furnish the precise reason why
that should be done. In quoting the
movement of the barons Of England
winch forced King John to give them
the Magma Charta, the Journal gives a
graphic illustration of the need of
amending our written Constitution. If
the Magma Charta of England had been
confined to the case Of the barons, as
1t was written, the common people IN
England would have been little ben
Gifted from it. The great final result
from the signing OF the Magma Charta
was not in the obtaining by the barons
Of release from the impositions in
hlctod upon them by the king, but it
came IN the expansion of that great
charter when the people of England at
large were taken into the like freedom
with the barons, And so in the case of
the constitution of the United States.
1t is now outgrown by reason of the
great advance of modern civilization
and especially of commerclalism. The
Journal says:
The masses. today. are not clanoring
ior changes. but certain classes who find
in il stumbling block In their paIh
toward unlawful self ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF
power, or wealth, or both. would like
10 he able 20 effect changes without hay
ing TO take so many into their conf
dence. for they can neither blind the
judgment TO the great body of citizen-
ship by pleas OF modern business neces-
sitles and commercial expansion. nor bribe
conclusive proof that when they so de-
sire they can secure both the nomina-
tion and election Of those who will best
serve them. and the passage OF such
,ions imposed by the Constitution is all
that has stood in the path OF the full
fruition OF the monopoliStlc designs that
would give them absolute and irresponsi-
BILE financial. industrial and CONNER
cial dominion over the country its di-
verSified activities and its people; reduc-
Ing them to 4 condition far worse than
mere political slavery
In SO saying the Journal makes a
very strong case for revision of the
for what the masses of
the people today are clamoring for is
a means to check the unlawful self
ggrandizement of power and wealth.
Under the constitution as it IS, it ap-
pears to be impossible to check the ap-
gressions of combined wealth, to re-
strain the combinations Of capital, and
10 obtain the necessary freedom in the |
Government to protect itself against |
the encroachments of camtalistic DOW
er and to allow it to tax great com
bines and wealthy individuals and cor
porations. 1t is for the restraint of |
capital and for the putting il under |
control, for the specific pro-
visions allowing Congress to tax in
'omes, to effectively control interstate |
commerce beyond all quibble in the
courts, 10 pass national incorporation |
laws. employers liability statutes in
interstate business, to control and fax
insurance companies and the like; mat
.ers that were not known Mt the time
of the framing of the Constitution. that
The revision of the National Constitu.
,lon has become imperative if the peo.
pie would enforce their desire in the
way OF taxation and control Of great
wealth, and free themselves from the
nonopolics and trusts that now seem
100 strong for control under our pres.
,nt institutions. Nothing like the ap
1regations of capital and the means
'f applying the power Of money and of
huge interests such as we
zee today, was dreamed of at the time
he Constitution was framed. Because
'hese exist practically uncontrolled,
md arc sapping the strength and
trying up productiveness of the
and because there seams no
lope of relief otherwise. the Federal