Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19
YOU AND UNCLE SAM
Series of Educational articles Telling HoW Federal Govern.
n,ent Is Organized and Ho,p 1t Functions-Writ
ten Expressly for School Children.
No. 3-Our Charter That Stands the Test of Time
BY WILL p. KENNEDY

This article has been read and O.K.d by
Senator Simeon y. Tess of Ohio, veteran
ern University and University of Chicago
president for 10 years Of Antioch College
and nationally known as writer and speaker
on government.
represents 1--WE Henry st. George Tucker.
who vas professor Of Constitutional law 'snc-
ceedlng his father In Washington and Lee
University former president OF the American
Bar Association and ed tor OF several stand
ard works on the Constitution.
We are not going to consider just
what authority I'VE the people" have
given to Congress through the Con-
stitution. But 1T is we'll for us to
stop a moment and consider that this
great document. which is the corner
stone of our Government, was writ
ten when men had never seen a
steamboat or a steam car or an
electrical appliance of any sort, at a
time when there were but Is States
to meet the needs of something over
two million white people living il
largely rural country about 100000
miles square, with no complicated So
ciety, practically all of comfortable
means-none either poor or extreme
ly rich including only four ma
tionalities.
Mark how well it has stood the
test Of time, for it fits today some
90
miles of territory, diversified in
character of resources as to present
contrasting and antagonistic inter
ests where local self-government
clashes with National Government
And in all these 1877 years it has
been modified in only six funda-
mental items.
Powers of Congress.
The powers originally delegated to
Congress are contained in IS clauses
of the Constitutions: Cd to lay and
collect taxes: CD to borrow money:
CD to regulate commerce with for
eign nations and among the several
States: 90 to establish naturaliza-
ton and bankruptcy laws; 60 to coin
money. to regulate it's value and to
fix the standard of weights and meas
ures; (6) to punish counterfeiting; 60
to establish post offices and post
roads; go to grant patents and copy
rights; go to constitute United
States courts other than the Supreme
Court; G0) to define and punish
piracy and felonies committed on the
high seas, and offenseS against the
law of nations: then came six powers
for making war and maintaining the
national defense. necessary for the
very existence of nation among
d
G2) to raise and support armies. G3)
to provide and maintain a navy; 14)
to make rules for the land and naval
forces; G5) to provide for calling
forth the militia; I6) to provide for
organizing army and disciplining the
militia and for governing such
part OF them as may be called
into the Federal service. 90 power
over what is now the District of
Columbia and other Federal territory;
GS) to make laws necessary to carry
out the powers granted.
Other powers are named in later
clauses such as to- admit new States
and to make rules and regulations
covering various matters, but these
Is clauses contain the principal legis-
lative powers conferred by the Con-
stitution. and upon which the Ma
tional Government was founded.
Changes Are Few.
Although more than 5000 pro-
posals have been made TO amend or
change this great document during
the 1877 years since 1t was written,
only 10 have been approved by Con-
gress and ratified by the States. and
these 10 represent only six funda-
mental changes.
The first IL amendments are gem
orally looked upon as one. They
were added at one time in CARRYING