The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-12-21
BLoc'S AMEND
MENT REGARDED AS I'M
PORTANT ISSUE.


Abolition of the Electoral College
and advancement of the date OF in
auguration and the converting of a
newly elected congress, matters long
discussed in an academic manner"
have suddenly assumed the aspect
of an issue" the Washington Star
Qnd.) says, in the favorable report
by a senate committee, at the in
stance of the so-caned progressive
bloc. Of a constitutional amendment
embracing these charges.
AS to the second proposition, what
one writer calls the case against
the American interregnum' is pre-
scented by practically all Of the pa
pers, few editors indeed defending
the present method. The proposal
to change election procedure. how
ever, brings forth a more evenly di-
vided debate.
There is, as always, some protest
against "tinkering with the consti-
tuition" at all. on the part of the
Springfield Union (RepD and st.
Louis Globe Democrat (Rep.). for
instance, but to this attitude the
Chicago Tribune Qnd. Rep) replies
that these proposed changes do not
reflect a restless and unwise desire
to remake the United States Con-
stitution. They deal with antiqui-
ties"
or the more popular Of the two
schemes, the Columbia Record,
Dem.) says it is merely a move
ment 10 make the lame duck an eX-
tinct species in congress" 1t is
absurd" the New York Post Qnd)
AYERS. that a congress elected IN
November Of one year should have to
wait till December of the following
year before it begins operations. and
the proposal to do away with TINS
survival from the stage coach era
holds intrinsic merit" since. as the
Springfield Republican Qnd) sug-
gests, it is like taking the eleVa-
tor instead of walking up IS stories
In conditions such as exist today, the
Baltimore Sun Und. -Dem) contends
when a new spirit Of responsiveness
to public opinion on the part OF con-
gress is the urgent demand OF the
hour its opponents will be hard
put to it to find any logical ob1ec-
ton to the proposed change OF
date.
Nevertheless there is another
and an important side to the plan"
argues the Cincinnati Enquirer
DemD. in UNFOLDING the Presidents
objection to the proposal. There
are good reasons" as the St. Joseph
News Press UndD sees it. why a
set of newly elected officials, fresh
from the inflaming influences Of
political campaign. should have an
interval in which to cool off and get
their bearings before assuming seats
of power" and in the opinion of the
paper the interregnum serves as
shock absorber." The Waterloo Tri-
Times Und. DEM asks. ''if the Six
Judgment may result from almost
immediate service after election. Leg
islation may be enacted, on the spur
of the moment, that would hardly fit
the situation afterward." What
would have happened. the New York
Times 0nd. Dem.) asks, IF the Six
ty-eighth congress instead of the
were now in session?
A lot of miscellaneous wild colts
who have had no time to clarity
their ideas or policies would have
got to work and into confusion. The
interval given by the Constitution is
an opportunity for reflection. The
first drunkenness OF victory cools
off
But II this cooling period Is a
good thing, many writers reply. it
might be argued, 8s the Lynchburg
(Dem.) suggests, that the longer
the representative of the people has
to wait before beginning the talks of
representation the better two
years OF waiting would even more
surely promote the SOLDERING pro-
cess" Why is it necessary to as