The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-09-22

this difficulty. Congress in 1887
passed law determining the way
In which the electoral votes should
be counted. This was no less an a
mendment to the Constitution than
was the twelfth amendment, which
provided for the vote being cast for
a vice president instead Of permit
ton. After the contested election OF
highest number Of votes for presi-
dent, to fill this office. The Overulan
Act which was passed by congress
in 1917 is another illustration OF the |,
influence OF statutory law upon the
Constitution The president at this !
time was given the powers of Rom,
an dictator, which were all out of !
proportion to those intended by the |
men who framed the Constitution.
The customs OF political parties |,
and leaders have had even a greater
influence upon the evolution of the
Constitution. The men who sat in !
the Philadelphia convention provid- |
cd that the president should be elect !
ed not by the people themselves. !
but by representatives of the people |
who made up the electoral college. |
Altho the letter of the Constitution !
has not been changed, we are all !
aware of the fact that the party !
leaders choose a few men from
a president The Constitution proyjd |
ed that the senators should be elect !
by the state legislatures but instead |
of this senators have more often
been selected by a party caucus. ,
During the last generation, the !
people gradually exerted more in |
fluence in the choice Of the senators, |
by electing only those to the state |
Legislature, who would support their |
particular candidate. All of these |
changes took place before the form
of the Constitution was amended to
read as it does at present. 1t was
elected by the members OF the
house, but today he is elected by
the members of the majority party |
in caucus and Is usually party lead-
err One VINO desires a bill to be |
passed in the house is as much bound /!
by the will Of an oligarchy OF chair !
man as he is by any part OF the writ |
ten Constitution. The vice presi- !
dent has throughout our history held |
an unimportant position. There is
nothing in the Constitution that |
would make it otherwise, but he
would be a radical indeed who would
Condemn President Harding today
for taking the vice president into his !
and duties for which the Constitu |
ton does not provide.
1.-The careful student of the Con-
stitution of the United States, and
its history is well aware Of the fact
that il has been changed, is chang
ing, and must inevitably continue to
change. The fact that concerns him
the most is what will determine the
course of the changes in the future. |
There are reasons for those whose
faith is strong in the Constitution to
be more sollicitous Of its welfare to-
day than ever before. The social
and economical influences which
have brought about changes in the
Constitution in the past have been so
held in check that on the whole, good
rather than evil has resulted from
the changes brought about But to-
day a very different condition exists.
During the first century of our nat
ional history the gradual expansion
of our territory and the influence of
the frontier has made it impossible
for our government to be other than
democratic. AS long as cheap land
was available. radicalism had little
chance, to interest a large percent
of the people.
A man who was dissatisfied with
the conditions under which he was
accustomed to live could easily |
move west, secure a farm, and be- |
come his own boss. With such con-
ditions, democracy would safely
grow, with little danger from rad
icals, but now our desirable lands !
have all been taken. More than fifty |
rer cent of the population are living |
in cities. Those dissatisfied with |
their econ rnical conditions find 1t |
difficult to make a change. Radical |
ism is growing more prominent. |
America no longer enjoys the i'm |
munity which made it possible for !,
her statesmen to think only of ex |
pansion and improvement, but now /
must with the greatest care consid |
or the influence OF those dissatis- |
fed people who desire change with !
out any consideration of the danger !
that may accompany it. 1t is the duty I,
of every Loyal American citizen 10 !
consider we'll the problems which
are before us, to understand the |
olution of our Constitution, and to |
use their influence to see that only
those changes shall be made in the |
future which shall guarantee to us
the same freedom, liberty, and sec
urity which was sought by those |
who, one hundred and thirty five
years ago signed the Constitution OF
the United States Of America"