Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-06-27
CONSTITUTIONS.


"And when you have succeeded in
doing away with the Term System, the
Representative System the Presidency,
! the three Coordinate Powers, the Senate,
state Sovereignty and Appointments
| from above short with our whole
! Constitution, he good enough TO tell us
what other Constitution it will please
your Cooperative Commonwealth TO
| give us.
An inquirer will very naturally, at this
stage, ask some such question. 1t would
remind MS that we have not vet made our
Fundamental position in regard to polti-
cal changes clear
Constitutions are not 1T oH things to be
g'reh or tahca Hray at pieas,re
What is u Constitution?
When we speak of the Constitution of
the solar system, we mean by that term
the attraction of the sun which so regll-
lates the movements of the planets that
TINS movement cannot he otherwise than
what it is. When we in the same sense
the proper sense speak Of the Consti-
tutlon of acountly, we do not mean that
piece of paper which is called 'tonsti-
tntlon,' but the organic power that
makes necessary the institutions which
we find. 1t is therefore a Fundamental
mistake to think, that our country with
her r9tfen "conststution'' occupies a
peculiar position.
Every country has and always had
institution. The motto of Louis XIV:
"Lefdf cef moi (''l am the State'') was
as fully the constitution of France as any
constitution she, or any country. ever
had, The pecularity of modern times
consists simply I'M piece of paper, simply
III the giving written expression to the
organic power. But if such a written
constitution does not correctly respond
to this organic power-as the ''constitn-
/ tions OF France during the Revolution
did not, and az the snanstiinlio,i' ef tlse
/ present German Empire does not lit il
not worth the paper il is written on If
IL, on the other hand does so respond, it
il like a swiftly flying buzz,saw danger
ous to go too near to.
The short history Of our own country,
even, bears us out in this view. Our
present constitution" is a very different
one from what it was in 1850. The point
OF change was the period when people
prated about ''upholding the consttu-
ton" Wheneyera Constitution" needs
being upheld" it is going, or gone
During that period was promulgated the
'Dred Scot decision. which, undoubt-
edIy, was correct constitutional de-
cision Yet il was but an idle breath,
or, if it had any effect. it was to make
orr people $50 approNingIy styled "a law
abiding peoplc') subvert the very econ
stitution," that was the sanction of the
decision.
What was the matter?
The organic power in the Nation was
simply changing Mark it was he nbo-
Hion Of .Sidrefy Whicit amendpd our ''coH.
$fiiHiioa," emphatically moi the amend
ments to the "constitution" which abol-
isled Slavery.
Is this socialist view of the organic law
of country not far more phiIosophic
than the vulgar one, held by our estates
men" or even by such an element author
ity as Judge Story, who reduces the
whole science Of government to-a eulogy
of the "Constimton?
1t remains true, reader! No army of
lawyers, nor of soldiers, can uphold a
constitution" when the centre of gravity
of society has changed its position
Socialists, then, have no thought what
ever Of '1aying impioHs hands on this
glorious paper constitution" of ours, or
of giving to, or imposing upon, our
country new frame of government Of
our own; Just as little as we fancy that
y can change its economic conditions.
L is the Logic of Events that will ac.
comili5h bath these Changes.
Hui mark the radical difference be
tween the economic and the political rev.
olution.
The economic relations OF the Cooper.
atiye Commonwealth will evolve ont oi
our present industrial conditions. but tho
form OF administration Of that Common
wealth will not be an outgrowth of oul
present form Of government.
GOOD WAGES FOR THE WoRKMAa
! MEANS PROSPERITY FOR THE MERCHANT