New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-09
.PROCRESSVES TO TRY
CONSTITUTION CHANGE
Each Generation Given WhaCk
at Document, According to
Proposed Amendment.
TO BE INTRODUCED TO-DAY
Resolution Calls for Federal
Conventions Every 80 Years
Three Ways in Which
to Obtain Action.

Joint resolution proposing an amend
ment to the United States Constitution by
direct vote Of the people will be intro
duc6d in the House of Representatives by
Walter VI. chandler. Of New York, to-
day. according to announcement made
here last night The resolution, which
has been prepared TO carry out the
pledge in the National Progressive plat
form. Ito provide more easy and eNpe-
ditious method of amending the federal
Constitution also provides for constr
tutional convention in 1920 and every
thirty years thereafter.
II the plans of the Progressives should
be carried out the Constitution would
have a new article. known as Article Is,
and would provide for proposing amend
ments to the Constitution in three ways;
I. BY a majority of both houses OF
Congress.
.. By the thirty-year constitutional
convention
8. BY one-fourth Of the states. acting
through their legislatures or by direct
popular vote.
The resolution provides that amend
ments proposed must be submitted at the
Congressional election following their
proposal for ratification or rejection. u
further provides that the amendments
proposed must be ratified by direct vote
of a majority OF all electors voting
thereon. which must include also a ma
iority Of the electors voting thereon IN a
majority Of the states.
Text Of the Proposed Article.
The proposed article reads:
Article IS. Amendments 10 this CON
etitution may be proposed by the CON
gress whenever an absolute majority OF
both houses in the same session OF Con
grcss shall deem it necessary, or by con-
ventions. 10 be called AS hereinafter set
forth or by not less than one-tourth OF
an the states. provided the states propos-
ing such amendments contain not less
than onc-fourth Of the population OF all
the states, as shown by the last preced-
ing decennial enumeration Such pro-
posal by the states may be made either
by the legislatures thereof or by the
vote of a majority Of electors NounS
thereon I'm any state making provision
for the submission OF such a proposal 10
popular vote. Amndments proposed as
above provided shall be submitted at the
next ensuing election Of Representatives
in each Of the several states. directly to
the electors qualified to vote for the cleo
ton Of Representatives in accordance
with the regulations OF each OF the
states where provision for such vote Is
made by the state. In default Of state
regulation thereof the vote upon proposed
constitutional amendments shall be taken
in such manner as the Congress shall
provide II. IN the majority Of the states
a majority Of the electors voting thereon
approve the proposed amendments, and II
the majority Of all the electors voting
thereon shall also approve the proposed
amendments. they shall be valid TO all in
tents and purposes as part Of this Consu-
tuition.
THE Congress shall by appropriate leg
islation provide for the holding Of con
yention in the year 1920 and every thirty
years thereafter for proposing amend
meuts TO this Constitution
Representative Chandler was assisted in
the work Of drafting his resolution by
Donald r.. Richberg, director OF the leg
islative reference bureau Of the Progress
sive party. and by other members of a
special party committee, including Profes-
sor George W. Kirchwey, Of Columbia;
DIR. Walter T.. Weyl and Dean William
Draper Lewis, Of the University Of Penn
sylvania.
For Each Generation.
"a constitutional convention every
thirty years" said Mr.. Richbers yester-
day. will insure in each generation an
official assembly composed OF representa-
tive leaders in the political and economic
thought of the nation TO consider and pass
upon the extent Of the need for changes
in tho fundamental law.
advocates Of the convention theory
claim that this would allay in large meas
ure intermediate agitation for amend
ments by providing a ..ationsl forum for