Evening star., 1924-03-24

Ahcio dfc now penQfnS IN congress
1908 propositions for amending the
United States Constitution. Some
have been pending for over 100 years
There is an Increasing demand that
the people shall control the policies
of the nation and direct their repre-
sentatives in government--in all oi
it's branches.
A few days ago there was passed by
the Senate Senator Wadsworth's pro-
posed amendment which would re-
quire that before any legisa ature
shall be qualified to vote upon ratifi-
cation OF any federal constitutional
amendment at least one branch OF
that Legislature shall be newly elect
ed after the Amendment has been sub
mited. The purpose is to get the
voice OF the people--and not merely
of their hold-over representatives.
upon important policies of govern
ment.
This is government OF. hv and
for the people-yet it is farther away
from being a true democracy than is
England, France or Italy, all of which
may change their governments pol
icies and the personnel of their min
istries overnight, while in the United
States the voice of the people, how
ever vociferous and determined, is
ppwerless until thirteen months after
it has spoken. How, then, can IL be
said that the people rule America?
Il **
Another amendment of far-reaching z
importance has received the approval
+ -. a l{v.er IL,
the House. 1t is the Norris amend
ment in the Senate and the White
amendment in the House.
Senator Norris declares that. with
the exception OF that abolishing slay-
cry, this is the most important amend
ment to our Constitution that has
ever been adopted. 1t re-enthrones
the people in their seat OF power
from which, through no intent of the
trainers of the Constitution, they
were expelled by the original Con-
stitution and by precedent growing
up in legislative practice Hereunder
1t brings Congress closer to the pub
lie sentiment through which the new
ly elected members have been chosen
These are the proposals in the
amendment:
/. The Congress elected in Novem-
! ber will go into office when Congress
will convene on the first Monday of
the January following election. The
short session, beginning December /,
will be abolished and when the an
nual sessions begins In January that
will be the only session after the
election, and the member who was
defeated at that November election
will have no opportunity after his
defeat to vote in any further session
The issues of the campaign, therefore
will at once he represented in Con-
grpss by the men chosen as adro-
Gates of those issues, which are APP
proved by the masses at the Novem-
ber election.
At present the men. Der elected in
November does not take Office until
thirteen months after election. when
the short session begins December
of the following year He is elected
for term of two years, yet thirteen
months of his term are spent in
marking time while the lame duck
who was repudiated at the election
continues to vote and is able to put
i'm effect policies which his constitu-
ents have rejected. The new member
has actually only eleven mnoths TO
serve in active legislation and faces
a new election campaign which be-
gins pra actically in the midst of his
first six months in active duty.
y < !: =
.. Under the present constitutional
provision. if the people fail to elect
President and the election is thrown
I into the House, it is the old House
which chooses the new President
Vital policies which had been rejected
by the people may thus be enacted
into law by a rejected Congress and
approved by al President entirely op-
posed to the decision of the masses
of the people.
Or a Senate of which the majority
may be hold-over members may