I would locate the blame more closely to the 16th Amendment. The 17th may have redirected the focus of Congress, but the 16th gave them the money to do it.
AMEN! The 16th amendment is, without question, the greatest mistake of the twentieth century at least and perhaps ever! The 17th isn't far behind however since it fundamentally altered the states relationship with the central government and moved us far along the road to the direct democracy our founders rejected out of hand.
Here we disagree. It is the argument that wealth causes corruption versus the argument that lack of character causes corruption.
The 16th is overpowered because of the effects of the 17th. No longer can the States restrain the federal efforts to gain total power, no matter how much it cost. The 16th may have been the gun, but the 17th was the ammo.
The 16th amendment was very likely the motivation for the 17th amendment. I don't think it matters which is the enabler. Both amendments and Woodrow Wilson started America down that long path to socialism and the destruction of the Founder’s vision for America.
Neither amendment added any new government powers. The Congress always had the power to tax. The difference the 16th amendment made was now they could tax the citizen regardless of the enumeration.
The money in the public treasury, however collected, provides Congress the funds to carry out their obligation to legislate only within their constitutionally granted powers. The "Powers herein granted" were the same and no new powers to legislate were added.
Article 1. Section 1. - All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Article 1. Section. 8.- The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare (but only within the herein Powers granted) of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers (and only the foregoing Powers), and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
The 10th amendment makes a great deal of sense when Americans acknowledge the Constitution limits the powers of the federal government. For American socialist who haven’t acknowledged the limited powers of government the 10th amendment must appear as gibberish.