The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-04-22
PROPOSE CHANCES
IN CONSTITUTION
Most Of the Forty Amendments
Promptly Rejected.
SUFFRAGE is IN THE LEAD.
Liquor, Judiciary, Monopoly and Eleo-
tons Affected by the 5ilIs-Doolittie
Has Plan For Recall of judicial De-
cisions by Legislatures - Theorists
Ride Hobbies.

Has Plan For Recall of judicial De-
cisions by Legislatures - Theorists
Ride Hobbies.
Washington.-The agitation In con
gress for the passage of a resolution
submitting to the states an equal suf-
frage amendment to the federal consti-
tuition has directed attention to the
many attempts that are being made to
change or supplement the fundamental
law of the LAND. Every now and then
q resolution of this character is drop
ped into the hopper In congress, but 1t
is not until the entire batch is collected
and laid out In review that one is i'm
pressed with their real significance.
There have been periods of unrest
and agitation before, but never has
such a variety of changes been pro-
posed to congress as now. Many Off
Gals in Washington even would be
surprised to learn that there are forty
resolutions pending before congress
providing for changes in the federal
constitution.
The amenders wan to change almost
everything-the executive, legislative
and judicial departments of the gov
ernment-and they want t. write into
| the fundamental law also a good many
things that cannot be in~terfered with
| by any part of the government. They
want to settle things for all time, and
the strange feature is that many of the
| proposed changes were considered by
| the fathers and rejected as out of har-
mony with the scheme of government
| which they were seeking to establish.
OF all the propositions of this charac-
ter now before congress that of Repre-
sentative Doolittle of Kansas is prob
ably the most unique. He proposes to
amend article 8 of the federal constitu.
ton.
He has a method for the recall Of ju-
| dicial decisions by referendum to the
| state legislatures and not to the peo-
| pie. Mr.. Doolittle is a Democrat and a
| direct descendant of the first colonial
| governor Of Virginia.
Representative Lafferty, Democrat,
from Oregon, suggests an amendment
4 ny WIlCh DloDODtd uLltlluilJSDI5 W Lht
| constitution may be submitted to the
states by a majority vote of the two
| houses of congress and be ratified by
| two-thirds of the states.
Representative Hardwick of Georgia
| proposes the repeal of the fifteenth
amendment and all after the first sen
| tence in the fourteenth amendment, so
| that all he would have remain OF those
two celebrated amendments would be
| the declaration that "all persons born
or naturalized In the United States and
subject to the jurisdiction thereof are
citizens of the United States and the
state wherein they reside"
Another group OF proposed constitu-
tional amendments is directed at the
courts. Representative Cullop, Demo
crat, from Indiana, proposes that all
judges of the supreme court of the
United States shall be elected at a
presidential election, four Of whom
shall serve for four years and five for
| eight years. After that first election
the term of the judges shall be eight
years. The court shall elect a chief
justice, clerk and marshal. and their
terms shall be four years.
Representative Hull of Tennessee
proposes to amend the constitution and
| give congress power to abolish any in
ferior court Of the United States and
to remov any judges of such courts
| by two-thirds vote Of both houses.
Representative Raker of California.
Democrat, proposes an amendment that
| the judicial power Of the United States
| shall not be construed to extend to any
| suit In law or equity commenced or
prosecuted against any state by citi-
zens of another state or by citizens or
subjects Of a foreign state or by reason
Of the citizenship of any corporation.
Mr.. Raker wants to keep the Japa-
nese question out of the United States
| courts and leave that whole question
| to California.
Representative Nelson Of Wisconsin,
| Republican, wants an amendment Civ
ing congress the power to define, pre-
vent and suppress m~onopolies, com-
binations and agreements In restraint
Of trade.
Representative Edmonds. a Repub-
lican from Philadelphia, suggests that
Congress be empowered to establish
uniform laws of marriage and divorce
and provide penalties for violation of
the same.
Representative Peters, a Democrat
Of Massachusetts,. proposes to give con-
gress the power to regulate the bust
ness or commerce of insurance through
out the United States and its terri
tories and possessions.
Representative Henry. a Democrat
from Texas, proposes an amendment to
change the date Of Inauguration OF the
president to the last Thursday in April
and the date for the assembling Of con
gress to the second Tuesday in Jan
uary.
Prohibition is the subject of an
other group of amendments. Senator
Works of California proposes to pro-
hibit in the United States the sale.
manufacture and importation OF dis
titled liquors containing alcohol except
for mechanical. scientific and medicinal
purposes.