The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1928-04-20

Nineteen amendments have beef
added, eleven for the protection o
individual rights, three for neces
Sary changes in the constitutional
provisions and five to meet cur
rent social problems.
The first ten amendments con
tain that immortal Bill of Rights
so dear to English speaking PEG
pies. The right of the individual,
to be protected against govern
ment oppression was recognized
by the ancient Greeks and Romans
in their theory of higher or ma
tural law. After the Romans con
quored Great Britain these rights
became the possession of the Bri-
tons and later gained expression
in the Magma Charta. AS years
went on the English king lost sight
of these rights until they were fin
ally stated in the Bill of Rights in
1859. Most American descendants
of the liberty loving Britons re-
fused to ratify the constitution
until they were promised that the
first congress would incorporate
the Bill of Rights as part of the
constitution. Articles n to ten
guarantee to every American citi-
zen the protection of life and lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness.
The election of 1900 demonstrated
a weakness in the method of
electing the president, so the 18th
amendment was passed. The
constitutional method of support
ing the government through a re-
venue tariff placed the tax burden
too much on those least able to
pay-that is the poor man contri-
buted a far greater part of his in
come than did the man of wealth.
So the sixteenth was passed Civ
ing congress the right to levy and
collect income taxes. This
amendment however, has made
less secure the property rights of
the wealthy. Realizing that if
senator's were to be representative
of the people, the people should
have a chance to vote directly for
them, thus eliminating SO much
the seventeenth amendment
was passed. The big social prob
of the day have aided in the
developing of the constitution.
The Civil war determined once
and for all time the question Of ma
-ional supremacy over state rights.
To settle forever the problem
which has been such a stirring
element in the life of the nation
'or about half a century, the ne
gro was freed by the thirteenth
amendment. To provide for the
security of the negro's rights the
.'ourteenth and fifteenth amend
nents were passed. These amend
nents are to give to the negro the
immortal rights that the white
American citizen enjoys. The
nineteenth amendment conferred
pom woman the political rights of
he male American citizen. While
most of the amendments consid-
red deal with the rights and the
rivileges of citizens, the eigh- !
zenith is often regarded as an in
ringment upon the rights of the
ldividual. 1t is true it does limit /
mans possibilities to injure /
imself physically, financially, So !
tally and morally but it is a we'll !
established principle of law that I
lie right of the individual should I
ield to the welfare of the group. s
.ow proud we are to reflect that 4
lie constitution adopted 1875 years 4
90 has stood the storm and stress &
political and sectional agitation Z
Id has brought us to world lead (
ship. Let us, future citizens, =
alize our responsibility to guard
II constitution from too radical 4
Ianges and to keep it ever the B
Ipreme law of the land. s