Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-11-05
WILL PROPOSE
CHANGES In
CONSTITUTION

by fhiyEiJAiS y. ti1AShIN
Washington. Nov. 4.--Tinkering
with the constitution will be sub
iect much discussed when Congress
gets back on the job after the cleo
lions. Several changes in the or
ganic law of the nation will be pro-
posed and at least one of these will
be directed to the purpose of mali
ing it easier to effect constitutional
amendments.
In short, not only is there a man
itest disposition to do some tinker
ing with the venerable document,
but there is insistence that the tink-
ering should be made less difficult
Of accomplishment.
The latter proposal is a decided
departure from the ideas of the
forefathers who framed the consti-
tuition and in doing so made clear
their judgment that it should be
safeguarded in every way against
hasty or ill7advised alterations.
They undertook to see that no
amendment could be effected that
had not been scrutinized carefully
and that did not have back of it an
overwhelming sentiment of the
people Of the country, and that
they made a good job of 1t is at
tested by the fact that since the
constitution was adopted in 1893
it has been amended only 10 times
and 10 of these amendments en-
bodied the so-called bill of rights
which had been virtually agreed
upon at the time the constitution
was drafted and We're adopted in
1891.
The eleventh amendment, provid-
ing that a state can not be sued by
a citizen of another state, or by cit
liens or subjects of any foreign
country, and the twelfth, providing
for the naming of candidates for
president and yice-president separ-
ately, followed within :. few years
the one in 1898 and the other in
1904. Then there was a lapse of
81 years without a single change in
the constitution, with the three
growing out Of the civil war coming
in 1865, 1868, and 1870.
Forty-three years passed and two
amendments were declared in eff
feet in 1913-the sixteenth, known
as the income tax amendment, and
the seventeenth, which provided
for the election of United States
senators by direct vote of the Leo-
pie OF the several states. Seven
years later the amendments were
made effective which gave the
country prohibition and woman's
suffrage.
-Four Carefully Considered
Tho 1qCf Fpnt. Df tho
appear to have passed the test con-
templated by the forefathers. Ger
tainly they We're debated pro and
con for years and were considered
with care and deliberation, and it
would seem that they must have
been demanded by an oVe@Whelm-
ing public sentiment. Indeed. it
was the difficulty with which these
constitutional changes were brought
about when 1t was evident that
majority OF the people wanted them
that led to the proposal that
amendments De maze easier.
senator owen or Oklahoha Is
.he spohsor lor inns idea ana mas
introduced resolutions on the SUD
Ject III several congresses one OF
these resolutions Is now pending
before tile senate committee on the
JUDICIARY ~ PROVIDES that the con-
stltutloh may De amended IN the
lollo"lhg manner ana IN no othef
way
an amendment or amendments
OF lhe calllhg OF q constitutional
convention may be proposed:
by majority vote or the mem
pers OF each mouse OF congress;