Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1899-04-28
MAY CONVENTION

S'S>i>NhS'i
Should Not BE Changed
SThe Proposition to Elect Sena-
tors Direct Discussed by a
Prominent Young Lawyer
of Tazewell.
The proposed convention to be
held for the purpose of inugurating
q scheme for the election of United
States Senators by the direct vote of
the people, induces lovers OF our
institutions to wonder why this tin
kering with form of government
that for so many years has been the
boast of public men to be the grand.
est government on the face OF the
globe? Why this movement, under
taking ultimately tC change the con-
stitution of the United States; an
instrument, the adoption of which
Alexander Hamilton finally declared
to the people of New York to be
"the safest course for your liberty,
your dignity and your happiness
an instrument ratified and confirm
ed by the legislatures of the respeo-
tive states, aud not by the people of
these States, by the delegated and
) not by the delegating authoritya
Madison, in 80 number of the
Fedelalist, declares the parties to
the constitution of the United States
ARE the people, mot as individuals
composing one entire nation, but as
composing the distinct aud indepen-
dent States;" and Chief Justice Mar
shall, after its adoption, in McCul
Tough V Maryland, 4Wheaton, 4O3,
said: ut is true they 0he people)
assembled in their respective States,
and where else should they have as
sembled? No political dreamer was
ever wild enough to think of broak-
ing down the lines which separate
the States, and of compounding the
A@erican people into one common
mass"
Our Constitution created FEEDER
eral Government, one in which
States were factors, and through
which States act with united powers
as constituents. Three departments,
the legislative, the executive, and
the judicial are the handiwork of
our constitution, and ever since have
been the boast of political writer's.
Congress represents the legisla-
tive department, and that depart
inert is composed of the Senate and
House of Representatives. Both
branches of Congress represent So
cisty, of which States are units. The
House of Representatives, the direct
popular element of Society. The
Senate, the deliberative, conservative
element. The House of Represen-
tatlves, based on numbers, repre-
sents the people of these respective
States. The Senate, based not on
numbers, the States. States, not
men, are constituents of the Senate.
History tells us that before our
Constitution, the thirteen original
states were united under articles of
confederation. By these articles
numbers were at the mercy of the
States. equality of the States
without regard to numbers, was per.
ilous to the rights cf men, but a
united majority nienaced the rights
of minority.
How to guard against these evils
held up the preparation of our Con
stitution. Two methods were ad
yanced: One to create will in 30.
ciety independent of majority; the
other to divide society into 80 many
seperate and distinct classes, as to
render combination of the major
ity of the whole Improbable, if not
impracticable. Under the first
thonght what check would there
be upon the power independent OF
society What would prevent that
power frcm espousipg the views
represented by the majority, to crush
tie interests of the minority7 The