The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-05

! Inc constitution. lY virtue OF the Constitution
sud tu conformity With the Constitution 10
amend the Constitution, cuufcr,nably ta a re-
served right contained i'm that very instrument ?
Yet We talk as II some outrageous thing was be-
/ ing done today. If the States were TO he
robbed of SOME precious rights. in defiance of
I the law. Why. We oCeedinS in conformity
with one OF the rights ~ the States namely the
right TO approach this pody. sn3 call upon us 10
exercise our constitutional function by affordnE
+ Ia the states Of this 'uiol the opportunity 80
determine whether or NOT they will amend
rae organic Law. Thal is the proposition with
which dcaiu- today
! cur Constitution is not fetish nor !, fossil
" must keep step. and he in touch with popular
sentiment The Constitution. and the spirit Of
the age must hc one do not mean Of course
TO say thar when TN sentiment of the ,iav is
"ut Of touch with tha provisions OF thai nstru-
. n'Hi, We must 4iplats the organic law but /
ell. mean 10 say thar H hen public sentiment 81
requires the Congress shall respond TO public
tmeut arid submit the amendments proposed
''r action. j. Is part of the wisdom Of hat
itS'ruWent that such is tile case and that oppor-
'1uity 20 make amendments shall he afforded
?, those constituent clements OF this Govern
mont which alone can make enectual amend
m"nt~ 10 our Federal Constitution
This instrument mas been much needed The
men 40 lived under The very shadow of the con-
vontiou watch first formulated it's terms. were
rot slow 90 add something like 0 amendments
IN our organ.c law. They We're deferred from
king tbs action by tn" imputed sanCtity %
this instrument. Ana yet strange TO say with
thc growth Of public knnwledge with the
crease If general information with the develop
uent Of a large scnse - liberty, there seems "a
bg. on the part of portion at least # the public
az this country. . great. and ever increasing
Aversion a. us' the Knowledge which have
accumulated during many decades of The past
81 the operations "t our Government. Of it,
UI"iIts ANA ITS deteCte t. make that instrument
conform SO the demands If the Intelligent sep
timcrt OF ,odaN. our Constitution must Develop
peGo'fullf. else there will be stagnafion. retro
ereSsiou. ANA revolution.
What rs this proposition which has hccn So
lemeutlN attacked This evening" What l. IL
Z sage Merely % proceeding under the Constitu-
tpr &C. detern~e whether the sentiment 81
today desires 10 amend organic law, Is
tnat IrtasoU1 Il il treason to propose reqolu-
uon of amendment fa- the action Of the States"
Is such course treason TO the people Is It
treason the intelligence OF modern times for
thls Congress to realize that sthere is sn7i-
GENTLY large and intelligent public demand FOR
1hie resolution 10 Justify MS In submitting il
the states for their several action can We
undertake to oppose ourselves to that sentiment,
and say that the pubic shall not even have
the opportunity OF making that determination
which belongs exclusively to the States Shall
undertake to say that however intelligent or
universal b. the demand upon this body,
We shall urn deaf ear to this appeal. and
arroeate 80 ourselves the power to anticipate
the action OF the states"
The gentlemen who have discussed this 3ro-
rosition seem to me q have lost all sight Of
what IS actually before for consideration. We
amending the Constitution Of the INIT ed
states. This body win never vote upon an
amendment 20 the Constitution of the United
states, We merely afford the opportunity to
the states to exercise their constitutional powers
~ amendment under the terms OF ffoust l.
tuition, The states will determine whether or not
in their wisdom they yvill add to our fundamen-
tai law MAY ask the gentlemen who have
spoken in opposition 70 this resolution, when
do They think that tho time will arrive when
this body ought submit constitutional
an"ndmeut to the States for ratification. or
re election" The Constitution says that this body
! by two-thirds vote may submit propositions
Of amendment Tel me whom should this body
lac Informed by public opinion that the time has
arrived when a proposition of amendment should
bc submitted
states rights am as jealous Of them as any
member of this body, when | conceive that they
, should be conserved. am not confronted with
demand by considerable and respccta be
portion Of the public. asking for the opportunity
to determine whethe. the organic law should
hc amended, even to the extent Of curtailment
OF present rights TIL, people have given. the
people take AWAY, and from time to time,
in conformity with their demands the amend
tnents the Constitution must be submitted
TOR their consideration II states rights means
that the Constitution shall meyer be further
amended, or the opportunity to amend it be
afforded then that il doctrine which t.
Ton one, rot give my adhesion Twenty
years ago the first proposition amend the
Constitution in respect Of the manufacture and
sal of ardent spirits submitted IN "A report
from 4 committee Of the Senate al the United
states. There We're great men upon that com
mittee. The state OF Alabama was represented
by senator PuRh, great lawyer. who
was jealous Of tha rights OF his state as any
Representative who ever sat in the Congress OF
the United states, The great state OF Mississippi
wa& represented by even greater lawyer
Sersitor George.
Yet rnembefs of q committee, dealing with
proposition to submit constitutional amend
rent to the above effect they agreed that without
regard to whether not they favored in the
climate the adoption of the amendment sug-
/ cested the committee could not stand In the
way of the public sentiment which demanded
| that the resolution should be submitted to the
| states. They stated in that report that having
in mind the moral forces, having In mind
the intellectual forces which even then were
demanding that this proposition should be sub
mtted to The states. they did not conceive that
in the exercise OF their constitutional function
.hcy could appropriately withhold it. If the
sentiment Of that time justified that action, by
80 mach the more having in mind the multi
/ pcation Of those forces since that day and
the actual results of voting in Stale after State
should we respond 10 the call Of the people,
ard not undertake To interpose ourselves as q
barrier to the constitutional demands upon us