It may require restrictions on all immigrants to this country, to prevent undesirable persons from landing either on our eastern or western shores, without discrimination between the races. An educational qualification is one point. Loyalty to our government is another point. The ability to maintain themselves unless possessed of means or ability to provide for a living is another point. These requirements should be demanded of immigrants landing in this country.

Bills having that purpose are now before the Congress.

SIXTEENTH AMENDMENT.

Sixty-first Congress of the United States of America; at the First Session, Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, the fifteenth day of March, one thousand nine hundred and nine.

JOINT RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States:

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States, shall be valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the Constitution:

"Article XVI. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration."

J. G. CANNON,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

J. S. SHERMAN,

Vice-President of the United States and

President of the Senate.

Attest:

A. MCDOWELL,

Clerk of the House of Representatives.

CHARLES G. BENNETT,

Secretary.

By HENRY H. GILFRY,

Chief Clerk.

[INDORSEMENT.]

I certify that this Joint Resolution originated in the Senate. CHARLES G. BENNETT,

Secretary. By HENRY H. GILFRY, Chief Clerk.*

SEVENTEENTH AMENDMENT.

Sixty-second Congress of the United States of America; at the Second Session, Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, the fourth day of December, one thousand nine hundred and eleven.

JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution providing that Senators shall be elected by the people of the several States:

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein). That in lieu of the first paragraph of section three of Article I of the Constitution of the United States, and in lieu so much of paragraph two of the same section as relates to the filling of vacancies, the following be proposed as an amendment to the Constitution, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the States:

"The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.

"When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided. That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

"This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution."

CHAMP CLARK,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

J. S. SHERMAN,

Vice-president of the United States and

President of the Senate.

*The sixteenth amendment was declared in a proclamation of the Secretary of State, dated February 25, 1913, to have been ratified by thirty-eight of the forty-eight States.

[INDORSEMENT.]

I certify that this Joint Resolution originated in the House of Representatives.

SOUTH TRIMBLE,

Clerk.*

The Seventh Amendment gives the people the right to vote direct for senators of the United States, which will do away with the abuse of power exercised by the members of the state legislature. Rich and powerful corporations that wished to have a representative in the Senate to look after their interests, have for many years spent large sums of money in the state legislatures, in order to have a senator chosen who would do their bidding. The result of this was to take the selection of the senator, who was supposed to represent an entire state, away from the people, and place his selection in the hands of the monopolist and the beneficiaries of special legislation.

Some of the framers of the Constitution, especially Hamilton, were skeptical as to the ability of the people to govern themselves and therefore they thought to remove from the people the election of the members of the upper house. So they gave the power to the legislatures of the states to elect the senators. The same reasoning was responsible for the election of the president by the electoral college. Could Hamilton, Jefferson, Washington and Franklin have lived to the present day they undoubtedly would declare with one voice that the people are in every case better qualified as a body to elect senators, and much less liable to corrupting influences, than combinations of men brought together as our present legislatures are, with party jealousies, personal ambitions, greed for power, place and money ever predominating.

The evils occasioned by the election of senators in the old. way were notorious, and cropped out in nearly every state in the Union, demonstrating the utter failure of the system to secure good results. Many senators purchased their places with cold-blooded contempt for popular disapproval, and kept out competent and honest men from the position. After thus purchasing their places, they systematically co-operated with corporations and trusts to defeat the will of the people.

If the people can be relied upon to elect representatives to congress for two years, and governors of states and mayors of cities, they surely can be trusted to elect United States senators

*The seventeenth amendment was declared in a proclamation of the Secretary of State, dated May 31, 1913, to have been ratified by thirty-six of the forty-eight States.

for six years. The quicker they begin doing this the better. Thus the state legislatures can employ their time passing needed legislation for the people, instead of wrangling over United States senatorships and in the sale and barter of votes.

The more the people are relied upon and trusted in direct elections the better they will respond.

THE REFERENDUM.

It is very probable that another amendment will be added to the Constitution providing for the Referendum. If the people desire this, they will have it, no matter what constitutional lawyers and politicians may say about their lack of capacity to meet the requirements of such a provision. Like the will of the Czar of Russia, the will of the majority in this country is absolute, no matter who objects to it. It is as safe as the will of the Czar or a privileged class in any country.

FEMALE SUffrage.

The right of suffrage in the United States should be extended to all female citizens over twenty-one years of age on the same conditions as it is exercised by male citizens.

FEDERAL CONTROL OF CHILD LABOR.

The general government should have full authority throughout the United States and their possessions to regulate and protect the development and health of children and prevent their enslavement and detrimental employment.

TEXT OF HOBSON AMENDMENT FOR NATION-WIDE PROHIBITION.

The text of Representative Hobson's proposed amendment to the constitution providing for prohibition follows:

Section 1-The sale, manufacture for sale, transportation for sale, exportation for sale, and importation for sale of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes in the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof are forever prohibited. Section 2-Congress shall have power to provide in favor of the manufacture, sale, importation, and transportation of intoxicating liquors for sacramental, medicinal, mechanical, pharma

ceutical, or scientific purposes or for use in the arts, and shall have power to enforce this article by all needful legislation.

The resolution carries a preamble setting forth that science has demonstrated alcohol to be narcotic poison and reciting its evil effects.

RESOLUTION TO EXTEND SUFFRAGE TO WOMEN, MAY, 1914.

Joint resolutions proposing amendments to the federal constitution to extend the right of suffrage to women and for nationwide prohibition were ordered favorably reported without recommendation to the House by the judiciary committee. This leaves both proposals to the House for decision and with prospect that votes may be called for. The two measures immediately will be put upon the House calendar. The woman suffrage amendment was introduced by Representative Mendell of Wyoming.

It is the first time that a national prohibition question has so nearly confronted either branch of Congress, and it is 24 years. since a woman suffrage constitutional amendment resolution has been reported to House or Senate.