Evening star., 1933-01-30

Almost a record has been made by
the prompt approval of the so-called
Tame duck" amendment to the Fed
eral Constitution by the various States.
In view of the 10 years required to get
congressional approval, it is held by
some observers that there is evidence
that the national legislators have failed
to keep pace with public sentiment.
Much credit is given to Senator Norris
for his long-continued efforts to achieve
this reform.
Senator Norris,P says the Buffalo
Evening News. began his fight against
the short session of Congress about 10
years ago. But efforts to do away with
lame duck sessions go back much
further than that. In 1895 proposal
was advanced to end the Congress
term on June l. In 1903 move was
made to have Congress sit for an en-
tire year. from April to April Be-
tween 1876 and the passage of the
Norris resolution about 100 attempts
were made to change the order for
congressional sessions" The Evening
News states that lin less than year
the necessary 36 States went on rec
ord for the amendment" and Incl
dentally mentions the loss of pay in
the period of change through tempo
rary shortening of terms of President
and Congress.
"Only two amendments to the Con-
stitution, the twelfth and thirteenth"
according to the New York Sun, have
been more speedily ratified. Had the
amendment been submitted in an odd
numbered year. when all but a few OF
the State Legislatures sit, there is lit
tie doubt that it would have been rati-
fled even more speedily and that the
record for dispatch established by rati-
fication of the twelfth amendment,
. aine months and thirteen days after
Il was proposed, would have been
/ oxen. AS the most persistent
, eampion Of the twentieth amendment,
| 1ator George D. Norris of Nebraska
hi earned the distinction of being
T NEn as its father. Sponsors of the
. anhdment overcame many difficulties
ano obstacles in Congress. but the
amedment itself went uninterruptedly
, , latur"
!, "Whave the remarkable fact" COM
mentShe Dayton Daily News. that a
measul against which no argument is
presena, once it is before the people,
was 1olyears prevented from coming
before = people. One is forced to the
view tns the reasons which held the
measure eck were private, not public;
selfish, Y patriotic" The Newark
: evening Tvs sees proof of the argu-
> ment ina Congress lags behind the
Natlon IN obstructive progressive ac-
ZION, ana 'ggests that "a new amend
, ment TO zeal the eighteenth might
, not nave y trouble foreseen in the
> Capitol. III Rockford Morning News
! adoS: Int amendment has gone
+ through withlt controversy because it
. represented . studied opinion of the
i states: we qfess that a strict inter-
pretatlon OF OF argument leads one into
I tne logic tnaqhe Constitution should
follow ratner an lead public opinion.
|, BUT Is tnat nc Constitutions func-
; ton? 1t Is a cument of all the peo-
; pie, not OF consversial minorities.'
r ~ *
S "Eagerness of he States to approve"
. in the opinion othe Roanoke World
: News, "is not cnplimentarv to the
1 present session ofongress. UNIFORMITY
l of sentiment frof coast to coast. and
E regardless of part. that the short ses-
= sions OF Congress flowing the election
, in November shou be abolished has
received its conf1rntion from the rec
] ord Of the present ession. which has
l done nothing, andpparently intends
; to do nothing. It Ktenificant that in
no State where the.natter has been
: presented to the Leeature has there
5 been any concerted opsition, In most
States ratification haSeen by sInani-
. nous vote. No stateSas declined to
"There-s no sensibiseason why we