The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-12-17
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National Topics Interpreted II fTMTTTTT&
by William Bruckart kRmId1T
by William Bruckart

wave of resentment in itself will not
help in the movement to drive out
unfair newspapers. At least, that
is the conviction that seems to pre-
vail among the several hundred
capable observers here in Wash
ington. Only few, as far as I
can discern, believe that the Presi-
dent can get away with the program
which DR.. High outlined in his be-
half.
Colonel Edwin A. Halsey, secre-
tary of the senate, recently has had
., compiled som e
SioU to facts and figures
Change on proposals for
consti u 10 n l
amendments that are strikingly in
teresting. First, the fact that there
have been 3,759 proposals for con-
stitutiona1 amendments in the ma
tons history, and only 81 of them
succeeded and became part of
the Constitution, is to me most
significant. It shows very definite
ly, I believe, that our people are
slow to make changes in the fun
damental law of our country and
that they do not make these changes
until there is something approx
imating unanimity of belief that
they are necessary.
Colonel Halsey's compilation dis
closed the further interesting fact
that economic conditions have a di-
rect link with and reflect rather ac-
curately the desires of the people
to alter or revise the Constitution.
It seems that when there is plenty
of work and plenty of profit and
the nation is going along happily,
even few of the demagogues have
thought about amending the Con-
stitution. But let hard times de-
scend upon us, let there be mill
lions of unemployed and hundreds
of thousands of persons destitute
and forward comes a perfect deluge
of proposals to change the Consti-
tuition.
Very accurate proof of the above
statement is given in the records
for the last ten years, that is, from
1926 to 1896. The most important
political question agitating the con-
gress during the first part of this
decade was the proposal to change
the date upon which the President
and Vice President and congress
take office. Latterly, and after the
prosperity bubble burst, the depres-
sion brought its own flock of pro-
posals for changing the Constitu-
ton.
Colonel Halsey disclosed that
there had been 20 proposals which
would authorize congress to deal
with working hours and wages; Z
which would have given congress
authority over agricultural produc-
ton and 9 limiting the power and
authority of the Supreme court to
declare acts of congress unconstitu-
tional or otherwise modify court
jurisdiction. There were two sug-
gested amendments that would have
placed in the hands of congress
virtual power 10 cOntrol the general
welfare of the nation.
The Halsey document also reflects
maneuvers of various blocs and
schools of thought and likewise
tells very clear story of our ma
TONS sashay into the field of ma
tional prohibition. National prohi-
bition was a long time in coming
and there are many who believe
that it was forced upon the country
too soon. That is to say it was made
operative before a sufficiently large
of the people were in favor
of it. This seems to be substantial
ed by the figures which show that
during the last decade, there were
135 proposals for repeal of the 18th
amendment out of total of 479 res
olutions for constitutional amend
ment. In other words, had there
been anything like the necessary
popular majority in favor of pro-
hibition, we would have seen very
few attempts in congress to repeal
the liquor control amendment.