Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-12-17
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National Topics Interpreted ~ GTTMTTTK
bv William Bruckart ASnE1I11T
by William Bruckart

will never fight out the issues in
which it believes and to which it
may have been committed there
tofore.
I do not defend unfair newspa-
pers and / do not believe anyone
else can defend them. Newspapers,
because of their position as leaders,
must conform to the maximum of
honesty. / think, however, that the
number of unfair journals is de-
Ginning because public sentiment
gradually drives them out of BUSH
ness. If Mr.. Roosevelt actually has
in mind the things presented by
DR.. High, then a wave of resent
ment is likely to arise and that
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
StoU 20 facts and figures
Change on proposals for
conSti u 10 n a
amendments that are Strikingly in
teresting. First, the fact that there
have been $3.50 proposals for con-
stitutional amendments in the ma
TONS history, and only 81 of them
succeeded and became a 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 unaninity Of belief that
they are necessary.
Colonel Halsey's compilation dis
closed the further interesting fact
that economic conditions have 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 mil
lions of unemployed and hundreds
of thousands of persons destitute
and forward comes 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
1925 to 1886. 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; 2
which would have given congress
authority over agricultural produc-
ton and 8 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 to 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 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
majority 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
1875 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.
q Western Newspaper Union.