Douglas Island news., 1920-12-17
L. D. HENDERSON
 ON CONSTITUTION Commissioner of Education for AL aska Tells Why It Should
 Be Studied

'oron to suporIntendouta. pr.nc.- pals and teachers Of Alaska calling ,bcir attention to a pamphlet doal- mr with Che study of Che consiu- Ion of Che United States. Tho letter follows
 "Thcrs has never been @ period n tbo history ol our nation whom it waa so Important that those who are loon to direct its affairs bo we'll inc formed os to Che baaic principles Of hc American syetom of government Tho tendency today Is to tear down without rcsard for Che consequences and without considering anything at an as fundamental or essential Many loso sight of tho fact chat man in his evolution from a condi- uon whore oach individual was auf- lciout unto himself Go our present day highly organized society has discovered certain basic political truths and chat there are laws .u .ho political world which arc os re- moreloa In their application as hoao iu Che physical world The law Of erlvauou ls uuchmgcabIe and works destruction upon those who defy it Iu Che same way na- lions which attempt Co Ignore the fundamental laws which make for national prosperity growth and happiness and which build upon false political ideals arc doomed to ultimate destruction.
 Tho constitution Of Che United sato Is Che product of thousands oi rcars Of human experience The 55 delegates to Che Constitutional Cone yenuou who sat In Independence uau Philadelphia. from May % to September I1 1IS7. were men who know not only colonial but also world history In tears and blood. hey themselves. their fathers. and ho.r fathers fathers for generations had worked out chose principles of government which were thou cndn- .Iatcd. Washington. Hamilton. Franklin. Madison and their ossoci- atos wcrc not intellectual or moral weddings They were informed. had Che courage of their convictions and produced % document which. used as Che fundamental law ot Che land. has enabled Che United States Go r.se to Che front rank of Che na- lions ol Che earth In Q utlo more .hau century and a quarter u spite of Che various haudicaps under which she ha. been forced to .ahor
 such as civil and political wars. thc assimilation ol millions of .mmi- greats whose traditions and political outlook are contrary to her own. ctc.
 During Che period Che constitu- uou has been amended nineteen time. tbc first ten amendments being practically agreed upon before Che original constitution was ratified. Tho other nine amendments havc uuudcd nothing basic set forth in tbo original document The eleventh
 and twelfth limit Co somc extent the power of federal courts and provide new electoral law Tho thirteenth. fourteenth and fifteenth
 grow directly out Of Che changed
 status of Che negro as result oi thc Civil War Tho sixteenth cm- powers Congress to levy and collec. am income tax. The seventeenth changes Che manner Of tho selection of Che members of Che U. s. Senate The eighteenth iorbIds Che mauu- lecture. importation or sale of n- toN.c3unr liquors and Che uinc- tccuUb removes suffrage restrictions heretofore Imposed because Of sex by extending Che voting power to women.
 The dcmaeoruc and selfappoInted guardian Of Che interests Of tho people have for che past few ycars been attempting to show chat Che constitution is a back number that it has already been 30 amended and changed that Che principles origin ally sc, forth have been practically uuuI0ed. chat Che so-called fuuda- mcntals are not at an fundamental because of che fact that in Che light Of Che uow day which they tate is danmr our eyes are being opened to Che fact chat our fathers laid spurious lumber rather than solid oak In Che keel of Che Ship Of State statements which every well-in- formed person knows are untrue.
 10 s against this class Of indivId- ual that our republic must arm it- solG Tho first line of-dofcnse is Che American public school system whose duty it is to present to boys and girls roaI truths regarding Che con-
 iuuou. This should be done par ucularIy iu Che upper grades of Che
 .n..r ..n Id. Hr.. nFmr.