The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-12-31
The Pulse of the Nation

T as the st. Louis Post Dispatch says,
the objection of the man of small in
come may be ill-advised experts may
theoriZe and patriots may plead, but
when it comes down to the issue 1t is
a rare man who will vote a tax on his
own pocketbook,
Again. the Cincinnati Enquirer re-
lates, 'it denied to the people the right
Of reviewing the acts of the General
Assembly, and it sought to limit the
representation in the legislature of the
residents OF Chicago" Since, as the
Scranton Times points out, Cook
County (Chica go) already has one half
the population of the entire state"
denying it the representation in the
legislature to which its populRt ion en-
titled it was denounced" according
to the ST. Joseph News Press, 'as a
step toward minority rule and there
fore step toward autocracy." Final
ly, when the leading Jurists OF the
state were unable to agree as to what
many Of it's provisions really meant,
the average Iaymen evidently con-
cluded that it's adoption would mean
endless litigation" and, in the words
Of the Champaign (nl.) News Gazette
he decided to bear those ills we
have, rather than fly to others that
we know not Of"
The main difficulty in the adoption
Of new constitution, the Waterloo
Tribune believes. lies in the fact that
there are so. many different things for
people to object to. The Average
voter reads a proposed constitution
not to find good in it. but to pick
flaws in it." But back Of that diff
Guilty, deeper and more fundamental,
in the view of the Buffalo Times, is
the compiexity which confuses the
voter. He who runs may read is
hardly too exacting a criterion by
which to suggest the breYity, the
clearness, which should characterize
the basic law of any coma1onwealth'.
and one of the chief difficulties lis
lack of understanding or recognition
by constitution framing bodies OF the
essential differences between consti-
tuition and to confine themselves to
fundamentals to be supplemented by
legislation" the Providence Tribune
believes that "Iess difficulty would be
experienced in obtaining favorable ac-
ton" AS it's neighbor, the journal
explains it, to-day II constitution is
supposed to be the repository for all
sorts or IDEAS Wn1cn, IT really worth
putting into effect would better be
left to the legislature TO enact. What
seems important today may go out OF
fashion tomorrow and statutory law is
easily changed.
The way out, declares the Illinois
State Journal (SpringfieId) 'is
through amendment to the constitu-
ton under which we now live. The
people can absorb and digest with a
competent degree OF intelligence one
or two amendments at time Pos
sibly four" the Chicago Journal adds,
and to the end that that may be pos
sible its prescription is amend the
amending clause. That change is of
acceptance, and with that made the
way to modernize the constitution is
easy and plain" That, in the opin-
ion of the Wichita Eagle is the best
way Ito improve a bad constitution"
for it can "be improved and kept
somewhere near up to date by iudici-
Gus submission and adoption of
amendments" for. as the Rock sland
Ou.) Argus says, "after all, all Of the
people don't go wrong all Of the time