Evening star., 1924-04-03

Since the present Congress con-
vened, several proposed amendments
to the federal Constitution have been
so favorably received as the resolu-
tion offered by Senator Norris which
makes the first Monday in January
the date on which Congress will con-
vene. and the third Monday in Jam
uary the date of the inauguration of
the President. The Senate has over
whelningly adopted the resolution.
it is the Transformation that has
come to pass between these years
that calls for the change to meet
changed conditions, most editors agree.
Some editors, however, see danger in
the change.
In the opinion OF the Duluth News
Tribune, "it is common sense
amendment. involving no great
change in the fundamentals of gov
ernment. but simply correcting a
situation that has been brought about
by the passage of time and changed
living conditions" and ut should be
adopted as a matter of course" The
Louisville Courier Journal maintains
spirit of the Constitution and thor
oUghly in accord with representative
government as conceived by the
trainers of that document. 1t would
change the Constitution, but change
it in order to get back to the funda-
ton" AS the Worcester Telegram
sees it, 'there are many arguments in
favor of the change and practically
none against it" The New York
ment as ''farcicaIly out of sorts with
representative government and
there should be no further delay in
getting the Norris amendment be-
fore the states for ratification" Only
the tradition of bad transportation
justifies the prese I arrangement of
succession, according to the Chicago
Tribune, which jocularly declares cit
is absurd now, but may become rea-
sonable il we ever get government
ownership of the railroads"
The principal thing in favor Of the
amendment, the Salt Lake Tribune
argues. sis that a Congress which
meets soon after it's election is likely
to be more responsive to the public
willI than one which convenes many
months after its members have been
chosen at the polls" The Springfield
Republican continues. 1T is such
Congress. over two years old and
with it's mandate from the people ex-
hauSted, that may be called upon TO
choose a President of the United
States in case the electoral college
the Constitution has been carried to
an inexcusabfe extreme in the long
toleration of such conditions" This
is indorsed by the. Norfolk (Neb)
News, which says, furthermore, mo
business institution would ever let
an employe hang on for year after
the boss had ordered his discharge.
Why should Uncle Sam do SoT' The
change, the Roanoke Times points
out, would also eliminate the long
wait from November, until March.
period of inaction and marking time
which is good neither for the govern
ment nor business" The Springfield
News thinks the change ought to
prove popular, IF for no other reason
than it will allow newly elected
Congress and a new President to get
their heads together much sooner
than before after a national election.
Much valuable time will be saved and
federal expenses should be reduced.
sthe possibility of undue Executive
influence upon repudiated congress,
men would be removed, for the old
Congress would not sit after the
election"
The Flint Journal suggests further
that quicker alteration of govern
mental policy conformable' to public
sentiment, as revealed at the polls,
would result from the proposed
change in the Constitution" The De-
troit News holds that "the govern
ment and the Constitution should be
subject to ready change in the ma
chinery by which the peoples will
is carried out" and the House and
the states should lose no time in act
ing on the amendment approved by
the Senate" In this connection, the
Butte Post mentions that the men who
wrote the Constitution offered twelve
amendments to make ii more work.
able, so "the present generation has