Evening star., 1937-07-03
By MIC. r.
s HAS been mentioned before


a self to produce = new Consti-
tuition for these United States. He
called It . Constitution for the New
Deal and published it in the American
Mercury, at the same time inviting
citizens who would like to suggest
additions or amendments to send their
proposals to the Mercurys editors.
In the July issue Of this magazine
the proposed amendments are given
several pages Of space They seem
to have caught the spirit of Mr..
Mencken's original very well The
reviewer quotes few of them:
Writes Mr.. George H. Ramsay OF
Tulsa, Okla: Fearful that "A Con-
stitution for the New Deal will 20
out Of date and become absolutely re-
dictionary without speedy amendment,
I hasten to accept your invitation to
offer an amendment" and then pro-
ceeds as follows:
Section 2 Of Article II OF the Con-
stitution, The Vice President of the
United States shall be President of the
Senate and agent therein of the
President. He shall make known to
the members the Presidents wishes
from time to time. and shall entertain
such views on public questions as the
President shall direct, ETC. shall be
amended TO read further: The Vice
President shall have no vote unless
the Senators are equally divided. II
he casts the deciding vote contrary to
the Presidents wishes and instruc-
tions, then the President shall have
authority to appoint six additional
Vice Presidents
And thus We get Mr. Ramsay's
opinion Of the sportsmanship Of the
Presidents court-packing plan.
M. C. JAY HANRAHAN OF Nebras-
IA expresses his views OF the
New Deal relief subsidies In another
amendment, As follows
The President shall be the sole re-
pository Of all information pertaining
to the number and condition OF the
congenitally INDECENT and incompetent
shall not be required to publish such
information except as he sees fit, nor
shall any other person, Official or
governmental authority inquire into
the matter; nor question the Presi-
dents information on the same, to
the end that the President may, out of
public funds, buy. corrupt and prosti-
tute that proportion OF the electorate
sufncient to control all elections in
order that he and his heirs and assigns
may prpetuate themselves in ONCE for
ever"
Mr.. Hanrahan apparently feels that
a dictatorship is in the air ahead
Of US.
Mr.. JOHN KNOX OF Trenton N. j.,
next speaks out, and he is on
the subject Of taxes. He writes:
All outworn traditions, supersti-
tions and legends incompatible with
the principles OF this Constitution in
Guiding the multiplication table, are
hereby repealed. In computing the
total OF taxes or other imposts deemed
to be due from any citizen to the Fed
| eral Government the suro of two and
two shall be deemed to be nve; but
IN computing the Indebtedness of the
Federal Government to any citizen for
goods, services. interest or any other
purpose, the sum of two and two
shall be deemed to be three"
Mr.. Knox also has q word to saw on
| campaign methods:
whenever, At the discretion of the
Executive. the purchase of individual
votes IN an election shall be deemed
necessary or advisable, the price paid
1or democratic votes shall be not less
tnan flve dollars per vote. the entire
cost OF such purchases to be defrayed
from appropriations made by the Con-
gress for the purpose. Republican
candidates shall not be permitted to
pay IN excess of so cents for any
vote 30 purchased and shall defray the
cost OF said purchases from their
own funds :. 1t shall also be illegal
Tor any Republican to possess money"
And, Mr.. Knox adds, Violation of
the preceding amendment shall be
punishable by \ fine of two million
| dollars. imprisonment in a Federal
| penltenitary for one thousand years
| or by the death OF the offender and
not less than three immediate rela-
tlves. to be selected by the Executive 4"
PERHAPs the most diverting of any
OF the amendments" however, is
Mrs. Anne Ford's of Queens Village.
N. Y.
Mrs. Ford advocates the formation
OF Breath Control Administration,
TO be known as the B. c. A." the pur-
pose OF which is to tax air. She has
f1xed up scale Of taxation beginning
with the rate of Il cent per pound
OF air at sea level" and progressing to
air on natural elevations, las knolls,
hills and mountains, and to second
stories and above Of buildings, porch
decks. upper decks Of buses and the
tops Of flagpoles'
"All creatures" she continues, "who
walk upright on two or less legs. or
have had the requisite number of legs
and at any time walked upright on
them, and that speak a known Ian
guage. are considered by law to be
human beings. and as such are taxable
for the air they breathe. All new born
children are to be considered to be II
inches In length, 6 inches in breadth
and inches thick Therefore all
human beings who measure l2x6x3
shall be considered to displace 2l6
cubic inches Of aid and shall be taxed
lao mill per cubic inch of increase
in size, each such increase to be de-
termined on the flrst day of each
January at the ONCE OF the Collector
Of Internal Revenue
And Mrs. Ford's amendment also
contains provision for avoiding fraud
by means Of the pretense OF having
| asthma and dArreAs the uear ripo of