Evening star., 1933-07-05
Needed Amendments
To the Constitution
To the Editor Of The Star:


Experience with some Of the recent
amendments to the Constitution Of the
United States has confirmed the con-
vlction In the minds Of thoughtful peo-
pie that it should never be amended
except In response to an imperative de-
mand to meet some need that would
undoubtedly have been provided for by
the trainers Of the Constitution had
the need then existed or could have
been foreseen by them.
There exists at present two such
needs that demand remedy, and
which can only be remedied by the
following amendments to the Federal
Constitution:
First. An amendment empowering
the President to veto any particular
item of bill without having, as at
present. to veto the entire bill in order
to rid it OF some, unmeritoriouS item.
Second. An amendment to Amend
ment 16 empowering the Congress to
tax all securities that are now tax
exempt.
The defect In the Constitution re-
garding the veto power of the President
was realized long before the Civil War,
and when the Constitution Of the Con-
federate States was drafted and adopted
it gave to the President the veto power
suggested; and in turn a similar pro-
vision has now been adopted by most
of the States in their Constitutions.
There is nothing in the legislative
history of the Congress that has been
more reprehensible or fraught with
more evil consequences than the prac-
tice of tacking on as riders to general
appropriation bills utterly unmeritorious
o,<J ivJafoncih1o ifapoc fhot could not
be enacted as separate bills, or if en-
acted as such would certainly be vetoed
by the President.
1t is this vicious practice that Is re-
sponsible for and has made possible
much of what has become known as
'pork-barrel" legislation, and which has
been responsible for the ever-increasing
costs Of government and the staggering
deficit that now confrontS the Federal
Government, which has probably had
much to do with the present depression
and the appalling social distress amcng
the masses Of the people.
As to an amendment empowering the
Federal Government to tax all securi-
ties now exempt by law. its necessity
has become self-evident The total
outstanding debts of the Federal, State
and local governments is over fifty
billions. represented by tax-exempt
bonds and notes. At all times, and more
particularly under present conditions
when the governments must increase
taxes to balance their budgets, people
Of means put their money in these Sc
curlties, thus escaping taxation and
contributing nothing to the Govern
ment's support. The result is that the
crushing burdens of government fall
upon the poor and those who are least
able to bear them, while those who. by
reason Of their possessions. are most in
need of the protection of government
pay nothing for the protection they get
while the poorer classes. who have but
little need of the fostering care and
protection Of the Government, are the
ones who are made to support it and to
pay the interest of these securities to
those who in turn pay nothing for the
support of the Government.
The theories upon which the financial
obligations Of the Government are ex-
empt from taxation are unsound and
have been utterly exploded by develop
merits of recent years and the present
economic conditions, as we'll as result
ing IN the grossest injustice to the great
mass of the people.
ALEXANDER SIDNEY LANIER.