New-York tribune., 1922-12-06
Bars Constitution Tinker
ing; Resolution Ending
lame Ducks and Elect
oral College Is Reported
January Inaugural
And Congress Urged
Enjoys of Bar and Labor
Back Ashursi Measure
to Suppress HoId-0vers
Prov, m. Tris..,., wa,ht,c,,, ry,,o.

that he opposes the proposed change n
the method Of electing the President
and Vice.Pros.dent BY abolishlng ths
Electoral College. Nor does the Pres
ident approve tho proposed change IN
the time OF meeting Of the newly elect.
ed Congress. 70 make Il convene soon
after the elections.
While Il was becoming known that
the President Is against these changes
In the Constitution which are favored
BY tho Progressive bloc, the Senate
Committee on Agriculture was report
ing out the substance Of the resolution
which would abolish the Electoral Col
lege and cause terms Of the President
and OF Senators and House membess
20 begin IN January, or much sooner
after the elections than az present
Ashurst Resolution Favored
Furthermore. a subcommittee OF the
Senate Judiciary Committee gave a
hearing on tho Ashurst resolution pro-
posing 10 have the Constitution amend
ed so the newly elected President, Wee
President and Congress would take OF
fee in January instead Of March 4, ~
under the present arrangement. Tse
Ashurst resolution Is backed y the
American Bar Association o~a has pow
erful Senate support, v.,ich is not con
Gned 90 the Progressiyes. The sub
committee will report IL fayorably 10
the full comTittee.
Senator Ne ris said he would press
his proposed amendment.
The view Of the President is that
the Constitution does not need 10 be
changed constantly nor tinkered With.
He believes that one Of the wlsess de-
cisions Of the founders Of the country
was that Congress should not sit until
a year until after IL was elected, thus
giving time for sober thought on the
measures 10 be considered. The Presi-
dent. furthermore, believes sueh
change is unnecessary, for the feasoh
the President can call en- extra session
VIXEN an emergency requires Il.
Dates FIXED in January
The aetlon Of the Senate Committee
on Agriculture came about ~ result
Of the fact that Senator Carsway IN
the extra session introduced = reso-
luton expressing the sense Of the Sen
ate that flame ducks" should not vote
In Congress after election, except or
routine matters. This was referred, az
the request Of Senator Caraway, 20
the Committee on Agriculture, or
which Senator Norris is chairman.
The committee took up the Caraway
resolution. came 20 the conclusion that
IL was not constitutional and then pro-
ceeded TO substitute for u the pro-
posal OF Senator Norris 10 abolish tne
Electoral College, thus providing fQ
election OF President and Vice-Presi-
dent bv direct vote and enabling inde'
depcndent nominees or candidates u
oet on the ticket without an elaborate
and expensive political organization
The Norris proposal also contem.
plates that the terms Of the President
and Viee-prcsident shall begin at noon
on the third Monday In January after
election and the terms Of Senators and
Representatives shall begin the hrst
Monday in January after election, IN
stead OF March 4.
No Immediate Action Likely
Senator Norris reported tho resoiu.
ton and 4 went 10 the calendar. IL -
generally assumed nothing will come
OF Il at this time. IT, opponents say u
should have come from the Judiciary
Committee and that Il ought 10 30
there yet. Senator Norris indicated he
was not opposcd 10 the Judiciary Com
~ ..tee taking /. up. In view Of the
action OF the committee, Senator Norris
feels the subject will be forced on the
attention Of Congress and the country.
It Is not improbable the opponents OF
the subsidy bill will discuss the pro-
posed changes In the Constitution when
the subsidy measure comes up.
Senator Norris's report 70 tho Senate
TODAY went into the subject AZ length.
hc frankly says that his resolution Is
inspirei By Senator Carawa 5 resolu-
tion to prevent lame ducks" from vot-
Ing. On the Caraway resolution, sena-
tor Norris says:
"The passage OF such a resolution
would not only be unwise, but II u
were complied with, II would interfere
with the constitutional right and priv
ilege Of many members OF Congress,
Under our Constitution, members
right. n not his duty, 10 participate
fully In all legislation up TO the close
Of his constitutional term cannot be
questioned or denied.
Points Out Serious Defect"
"The resolution, however. does cali
attention TO q very serious defect IN
somc Of the provisions Of the Constitu-
ton. When our Constitution was
adopted there was some reason for
such n iorg Intervention Of time be-
tween the election and the actual COM
mencemcnt Of work by the new Con-
grcss. We had neither railroads nor
teleeraphic communication connecting
the various states and communities OF
the country. Under present conditions,
the result Of elections is known all
over the country within a few hours
after the polls close and the CaDi,e, =
within a few days travel Of the ru'
motest portions OF the country"
Since the adoption Of the Seventeenth
Amen iment Senators have been elected
BY the people az the same time 40
members Of the House are elected, 90
there can be no reason why they lnould
not assume their new duties At the be-
ginning of the new year following
their election, the report asserts.
Senator Norris then said:
"The only direct opportunity the eit.
zens Of the country have 70 express
their ideas and their wishes In regard
10 national legislation Is the express
sion Of their will through the election
OF their representatives az the general
election IN November. During the cam
palcn that preccdcs this election the
great questions demanding attention
az the hands Of the new Congress are