The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1924-10-17
The Fundamental Law

I he constitution of the Unite
States has been changed so often tina
it now has almost as many amend
ments as It has body. Only the pre-
ambIe remains the same: I'VE. III
people OF the United States. in orde
to form a more perfect union. estab
lish justice, insure domestic tran
guilty. provide for the common
defense. promote the general welfare
and secure the blessings OF liberty I,
ourselves and our posterity, do or
the United States of America" Upor
the meaning OF this quotation al
agree. But the great lawyers OF ths
senate whom their colleagues and
constituents have wished to designate
as ''thc greatest lawyers" have been
called constitutional lawyers" Ii
was Chief Justice Marshall who put
the first big definitions into the con-
sti,ution, but even at this late day in
our history congress made up large
ly from lawyers still passes uncon-
stitutional laws And it is because
even the United States supreme court
has so frequently divided upon con-
stitutional questions by votes OF FIVE
to four. that there has been discussion
for more than a dozen years OF the
feasibility OF giving TO congress a
sort OF veto power over the supreme
court 1t may safely be said that
this proposal. though il has many
strong advocates, has not yet won
the support OF the bulk OF American
citizens.
The fundamental law may be clari-
fed and amended many times. but
proposals changing the administration
OF il have always been defeated. In
the early days OF our government
many attempts were initiated to i'm /
peach supreme court judges because
of decisions that were unpopular with
the politicians The thought OF
impeachment as a method of con-
rolling the supreme court has given
way to the newer suggestion that
congress might act as reviewing
tribunal or as a sort OF supreme court
for the supreme court
A Few Amendments
Amendments to the constitution
have been coming along rather lively |
during the past years. The congress
has been given power to lay and
collect taxes on incomes; United
States senators are now elected by
direct popular vote; the saloons have
been wiped out; and the sale. AMI +,
OF Iiquar have been out ,
Iawed; and women have been given (
nation wide suffrage. Radical gov :.
eminent has had boom during the
past dozen years.
During the first session OF the pre-
lent congress twenty-six resolutions =
we're introduced to regulate child !,
abor; there were. ten fixing dates for =,
idue vi dtioh VI piS>iuSht anu Son- ss
'ening OF congress; seven empower \,
ng congress to tax incomes from -.
tate bonds; seven changing the =
Method OF amending the constitution; I,
tx empowering congress to establish =
inform laws for marriage and di- 1,
orce; four empowering congress to >,
ru,,lato tho ,,or,,,at,o, ~ ~.o,to~e
nd representatives. There were other :.
roposcd amendments providing for
referendum on prohibition and war.
" consumption of wealth in time of
ar. for defining treason. for chang
x the method of rstifying treaties.
king a six-year term for president,
'lating to presidential vetoes, pro-
ding representation in congress,
Iffrage for the citizens of the
istrict Of Columbia. removing dis
against women, and 81.
gulation of citizenship of aliens VI
here were. in short, eigthyhve sug- -
sted constitutional amendments. All =
these suggestions were due to the
ct that the constitution stood in the
~ OF the simple processes of pass
9 laws, since the laws desired
garding the cigthy-6ve subjects
ire in violation of the constitution.
lie tinkerers with the constitution
mind one OF the man who threat
ed to write new dictionary because
, existing books spelled SO many
,rds differently from the way he
nted them spelled.
Cases at Law
There is case now pending in the
,remc court which taxes property
different sides OF the road a,
fcrent rates. In the Arkansas road
es the state attempted to use up
federal aid money without carry
49,, A.. ~.x..l.t,~., g. ff,..