The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1914-04-16


cisions by Legislatures - Theorists
Ride Hobbies.
Washington.-The agitation I'm con.
gress for the passage of resolution
submitting to the states an equal suf.
frngc 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
u resolution of this character Is drop
ped into the hopper I'm congress. but II
Is not until tlic entire batch Is collected
and laid out In review that one Is i'm.
pressed with their real significance.
There have been periods of unres;
and agitation before. but never has
such variety of changes been pro
posed To congress ns now. Many oil.
clnls In Washington even would bo
surprised to learn that there are forty
resolutions pending before congress
providing for changes In the federal
constitution.
The amendcrs want TO change almost
evcrything-the executive legislative
and judicial departments OF the gov.
ernment-nnd they want TO write into
the fundamental law also good many
things that cannot be lnterfcred with
by any part Of the government. They
want to settle things for all time. and
the strange feature IL that many of the
proposed changes were considered 10y
the fathers and rejected ns out of hnr
mony with the scheme Of government
which they were seeking 10 establish
or nll the propositions Of this charac.
ter now before congress that of Repre-
sentative Doollttlc of Kansas is prob.
ably the most unique. lie proposes TO
amend article Of the federal constltn.
ton
lie has n l.ethod for the recall OF ju.
dlclnl decisions by referendum 90 the
state legislatures and not 10 the peo
pie. Mr.. Doollttlc IN n Democrat and
direct descendant OF the FIRST colonial
governor OF virginia.
Representative Lafrerty. Democrat
from Oregon. suggests nm amendment
by which proposed amendments 90 the
constitution may be submitted 90 the
states by majority vote OF the two
houses OF congress and he ratified by
two.thlrds Of the states,
Representative Hardwlck OF Georgia
proposes the repeal Of the fifteenth
amendment und all after the first sen
tcncc In the fourteenth amendment. so
that nll he would have remain OF those
two celebrated amendments would be
the declaration that "all persons born
or naturnlizcd IN the United States and
subject 10 the Jurisdiction thereof are
citizens of the United States and the
state wherein they reside
Another group of proposed constitu'
tlonnl amendments Is directed NJ the
courts Representative Cullop, Demo
clat. from lndinnn. proposes that all
Judges of the supreme court OF the
United States shall he elected at n
presidential election, four Of whom
shall serve for four years and 1--WE for
eight years. After that first election
the term of the judges shall be eight
years. The court shall elect II chief
Justice. clerk ana marshal, and their
terms shall be four years.
Representative Hull OF Tennessee
proposes TO amend the constitution ana
give congress power 10 abolish any In
ferlor court OF the United States and
10 remove any judges OF such courts
by two-thlrds 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 ciu'
zens of another state or by citizens or
subjects OF foreign state or by reason
OF the citizenship of any corporation
Mr.. Raker wants 10 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 monopolies. com
binations and agreements In restraint
of trade.
Representative Edmonds, Repub-
lican from Philadelphia, suggests that
Congress be empdsered to establish
uniform laws OF marriage and divorce
and provide penalties for violation OF
the same.
Representative Peters, Democrat
of Massachusetts, proposes to give con-
gress the power to regulate the busi'
ness or Commerce OF insurance through
out the United States and Its terri
tories and possessions.
Representative Henry. Democrat
from Texas. proposes an amendment 10
change the date of inauguration OF the
president TO the last Thursday In Apni
and the date for the assembling or con-
gress 10 the second Tuesday In Jan
uary.
Prohibition is the subject or an
other group of amendments. Senator
Works Of California proposes to pro
hibit in the United States the sale
manufacture and importation or dis
titled liquors containing alcohol except
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