The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-04-03
TO MAKE II EASY
FOR AMEADENTS
SENATOR cUMMiNs WILL INTRO.
DucE SUCH A RESOLUTION.
The THIRD PARTY MOVEMENT

None Of the Iowa Members Have as
Yet Answered Invitation to eau
cus-Tests for Fourth Class Post
Masters Troubles Department.
Washington, ID. c., March 31.-Sen
ator Cummins has announced his in
Lention of Introducing at the coming
session of congress a resolution fol
the submission of amendments to the
of the United States on
the request of one-fourth of the state
The senator desires tt
make easier the adoption of these
His theory is that this
new idea of his would take ont of the
hands of congress the power to OBJ
struct the submission of constitutions
amendments and facilitate the amend
ment of the constitution. a
The proposal of Senator Cummins
serves to remind the Washington Pos
of The warning given by Washington
In his farewell address:
One method of assault may be
to effect in the forms of the Con-
stitntion alterations which will
impair the energy of the system
and thus to undermine what can
not be directly overthrow. In
all the changes to which You may
be invited remember that time
and habit are at least as neces-
sary to fix the true character of
government as of other human
institutions: that experience is
the surest standard by which to
test the real tendency of the eX-
listing constitution of country;
that facility in changes upon the
credit of mere hypothesis and
opinion .z exposes to perpetual
change. ..-..s-s ~. ..a
Tho Post adds:
IF there has been any public de
mand for an easier method of amend
ing the Constitution it has failed Il
express itself heretofore. 1t is bu
little over three years since Congress
passed the resolution for the income
tax amendment, and sufficient mum
Der of states already have ratified il
The direct election amendment wa,
passed two years ago, and within an
other year probably it, too, will hav,
been approved.
Thus within a period of four year
there will have been two most import
ant amendments TO the Constitution
and there is no demand for any othe
changes that have manifested them
selves. ..
The men who made the Constitution
considered all these matters at thu
time OF their deliberations. The!
realized that facility in bringing abou
amendments to the Constitution woul
impair the stability of the govern
ment. Something was needed to chez
the whims of the people, and the Cor
stitution as it stands was the result
IF it is desirable to amend the Con
stitution every year or so, adopting
some new expedient before We hay'
given fair trial to the old, the Cor
stitution might just as we'll be abol
ished altogether. Either il is to be
check on temporary public impulse o
it isn't to be. If it isn't to be, Their
is no need for Constitution at all.
- - -
Although invitation to participat,
OF the new House of Representative
were issued to Representatives Hau
gen, Good, Prouty, Green, Woods an,
Scott of the Iowa delegation, the nam
of not one of these appears on the lis
of eighteen members who have not
fed Representative William II. Hine
baugh of Illinois, who issued the In
that they would attend
Forty-four invitations were sent GU
by Mr.. Hinebaugh after numerous con
gressive party. The date original.
set for the caucus was April 2, but |
has been changed to April for tn,
reason that many of the members will
not return to Washington before tina
time. .a
The delight of the democratic lead
ers at this movement which will still
lican party, knows no bounds. Dem
ocratic Leader Underwood is encour
aging the movement by agreeing t.
recognize the insurgent republicans al
a separate party in the distribution o
committee places. Theodore Roose
welt, too, is delighted. Good for you
my dear Judge Hinebaugh! | am NOR,
than pleased with what you hav,
done" the Colonel wrote to the Hi
nois recruit in congress, saying also
We should go ahead with our owl
as separate, distinc
party"
Old time republicans are watching
with good deal of quiet interest tn,
of members who wish u
remain within the republican party
and, at the same time, cling to tn,
coat tails of Theodore Roosevelt. Tn,
time of real parting has come.
a - - -
What shall be the basis of the tests
in the civil service examinations fol
The thousands of fourth-class post
masters who were placed under the
classified service by order of Presi
dent Taft? This is a problem which
the new postofiice department heads
are finding difficulty in solving. The
desire of the department is to estab
ish basis for these tests which will
insure competent postmasters, but
he department does not wish to make
he test so severe that capable appli
cants will get 'cold feet" and not
AXE the examination.
Postmaster General Burleson, his
irst and second assistants and sew