The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

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

This amendment, which provides for the laying of an income tax, was adopted by the thirty-sixth legislature, the requisite three-fourths, on February 3, 1913.  It was hoped that the money supplied from this tax would make up for any loss of revenue due to the reduction of tariff duties.  The new tax will affect those whose yearly incomes are in excess of a certain line of exemption.

Amendment XVII.—­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 legislature.

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.

SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS AND REFERENCES.

1.  What facts can be given showing the difficulty of amending the Articles of Confederation?  Fiske, Critical Period, 218-220.

2.  Is it now considered difficult to amend the Constitution?  Bryce, American Commonwealth, I, 359-362 (368-371).

3.  What were the conditions under which the Emancipation Proclamation was issued?  Wilson, Division and Reunion, 226-228.

4.  Was the adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment a wise policy?

5.  Give the arguments in favor of the Sixteenth Amendment.

6.  What reasons can you give in favor of the Seventeenth Amendment?

CHAPTER XIX.

THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE WORLD.

Kinds of Governments.—­It is customary to classify the governments of the world under two heads:  (1) republics, (2) monarchies.  The real nature of our republic may be made more apparent by a comparison of our system with that of other republics, and with the governments of certain great monarchies.