The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-01

kerinG with the constitution Will DC
. subject much dlscusSed when
congress ge.s back on the Job atJer
the elections. Several changes III
the organic law OF the nation wlil
be proposed and at least ons OF
these will be directed to the pug,
pose of making 1t easier to ehecl
constitutional amendments.
In short. not only is there man
ifest disposition to do some tinker
ing with the venerable document
but there Is insistence that the tin
kering should be made less difficult
OF accomplishment.
The latter proposal Is 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 ill-advised alterations
They undertook to see that nc
amendment could be effected that
had not been scrutinized carefully
and that did not have back of it an
overwhelming sentiment of the peo-
pie OF the country, and that they
made good job Of it is attested by
the fact that since the constitution
was adop.ed in 1889 1t has been
amended only 10 times and 10 of
these amendments embodied the So
called bill OF rights which had been
virtually agreed upon at the time
the constitution was drafted and
were adopted in 1871.
The 18th amendment, providing
that q sta.e can not be sued by a
citizen Of another state, or by citi-
Gems or subjects of any foreign
country. and the 18th, providing for
the naming of candidates for pres
ident and vice president separately,
followed within a few years - the
one in 1898 and the other in 1904.
Then there was a lapse Of 81 years
without single change in the con-
stitution, with the three growing
out of the Civil war coming in 1865,
1858 and 1870.
Forty-three years passed and two
amendments were declared in effect
in 1913-the 10th, known as the in
come tax amendment, and the 18th,
which provided for the election of
United States senators by direct
vote OF. the people\of the several
states. Seven years later the amend
ments were made effective which
gave the country prohibition and
woman's suffrage.
Four Carefully Considered.
The last four of the amendments
appear to have passed the test con-
templated by the forefathers. Ger
tainly they were dabated pro and
con for years and were considered
with care and elaboration, and it
would seem that they must have
been demanded by an overwhelm-
ing public sentiment. Indeed. il
was the difficulty with which these
constitutional changes were brought
about when it was evident that a
majority of the people wanted them
that led to the proposal that amend
mentS be made easier.
Senator Owen of Oklahoma is the
sponsor for this idea and has in
troduced resolutions on the subject
in several congresses. One of these
resolutions is now pending before
the senate committee on The Judi
ciary. 1t provides that the constitu-
ton may be amended lin the fol-
lowing manner and in no other
way"
AN amendment or amendments
or the calling of a constitutional
convention may be proposed
by majority voc of the men,
bers of each house of congress;
by either house should the 9TH
er house twice reject the proposal,
and failure for three months to
act favorably shall constitute a re-
lection.
Congress shall propose an
amendment or amendments or the
calling of constitutional conven-
ton when requested by a majority
of the state legislatures. Congress
or either house may submit COM
peting measures"
This differs radically from the
original provision Of the constitu-
ton under which congress can pro-
pose amendments only when two
thirds Of the members of both