Evening star., 1923-03-25
by WILL p. REMEDY.

A DRIVE is to be made in the
~ next Congress to put through
n comprehensive program for
perfecting the technique or
details of our constitutional system,
SO that in its everyday work il will
be more truly popular government
This means that the Constitution is
going to undergo relatively slight
changes to make it better fit condi-
tions that exist today, in other words,
10 bring it up-to-date.
No great fundamental changes are
. contemplated. merely perfecting the
technique.
This drive will be made by govern
ment officials, members of Congress,
national organizations and public
spirited leaders from all parts of the
country acting on the advice of ma
tionally and internationally known
students of government This action
Will be taken in much the same way
that the budget system was put
through, because the best thought
and advice was that it was wholly
desirable as a matter of public policy
Change in Political Year.
One of the proposed amendments is
to change the political year, which
now starts on March 4. with many i'm
portant consequences following. II is
: contemplated to make the political
year start on the first week in Janu-
ary for Congress and the third week
In January for the President The
reason for this different political year
Tnr hn ri,
sibility OF the selection of President
being thrown into the House. II that
should happen. the decision would be
made by the new House rather than
by the old one.
1t is argued that this amendment
would do away with the distinction
between long and short sessions. 1t
would do away with the present
anomalous situation of where a su-
perceded House continues to function
for one full session after a new House
has been elected. 1t would mean that
the members elected in November
would begin TO function in the fol-
lowing January instead of waiting
for thirteen months after their eIec-
ton, unless summoned into extra ses-
sion. All of those are just manifest
improvements over existing condi-
tons. and there is no real argument
i'll rebutaal for the present scheme.
s.-~LSl of Popular Governments,
1 Besides. ii is the essence of popular
' government that the people shall be
represented by the representatives
they select instead of by superseded
representatives for part of the time
Now we have the spectacle of mem
Der who is discredited or turned
down. by his constituency continuing
to sit for an entire session. There is
no more complete denial Of popular
government. That's with regard to
individuals-and then consider how
Mt iS when the party in power has
been defeated: There YOU have the
people as a whole represented by the
party which by their votes. they de-
clarcd should not govern.
\ second proposed amendment
covers the method of selecting the
President. doing away with the cleo
1oral college. which. al best, is
mere form and at times gives rise to
serious troubles.
third proposed amendment is to
change the method of amending the
constitution. We have here very
peculiar situation-that an amend
ment once proposed to the people is
always pending. The present method
of amending is by a joint resolution
which must be passed by two-thirds
vote of each house and then ratified
by the legislatures of three-fourtfrs
of the states or by conventions of
three-fourths of the states, as Con-
Eress may prescribe. AS matter of
fact the joint resolution proposing
amendment has always prescribed