Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-27
QUEER IDEAS OF CONSTITUTION
MAKING.


The State OF Connecticut is In the
throes of q constitution revision move
ment, and touching it the Hartford
Courant, the States leading newspa-
per. is expressing views that will no
doubt seem strange. or not, according
to the viewpoint of the reader. Re-
plying to the New Haven Register it
says:
I'VE do not regard constitution-mak-
ing as the peoples own business in
the way that the Register processes Ito.
We believe in having those people do
things who are especially fitted to do
them. From all which 1t may
be inferred by the careful reader that
the Courant believes that the constitu-
ton will be best preserved in it's spirit
and best fitted to the eXigencies OF
modern times by having it overhauled
by q body of students of the art of
government and not by converting n
mass meeting to shout and pose over it
and finally when tired agree upon some
compromise that will prove as unde-
sirable as most of the new conStKu-
tons of late days-the product of
cranks, rattle-heads. and half-baked
philosophers, who think they could
convert the world tomorrow If only they
could incorporate the Ten Command
mentS in the constitution.
Certainly this is queer, coming as it
does from q newspaper in the State of
"town-meetings." Is the Courant's
pessimism as. to the ability Of "the
people" to frame a constitution to suit
their needs justified by the facts?
Would body of students of the art
of government" be able to make sat
isfactory constitution? The Courans's
position is interesting because it is the
position OF a large number of persons
in this country, who. strangely oblivi-
Gus OF it's history, are wont to discuss
the governing capacity of our people
with a few words of supercilious dis
paragement. 1t is species of intellec-
tual snobbery from which the country
has never been entirely free, but which
has. of late. been more pronounced
than formerly
The Virginian- Pilot does not by any
means discount the Importance of STU
dents of the art of government" There
ought to be some Of them in every body
that frames constitution. All the
same. it is doubtful that alone they
could frame a. constitution that would
not break down of its own weight or
people to whose common sense it would
fail to commend itself. It is one thing
to understand the principles of govern
ment it is quite another to know how
to adjust them to the needs of q peo-
pie. The student of the art of govern
mcnt is apt to try to adjust the people
to the principles instead of adjusting
the principles ITO the people. The result
is failure.
The people, on the other hand, under
stand their needs. In this country, at
least, they know enough of the princi-
pies of government to frame a consti-
tuition that will measurably meet those
needs. They can come much nearer to
1t than students of government. The
result is still better, however. when
the convention is made up of repre-
sentatives who know the needs of the
people, who will not attempt to make a
number constitution fit a number IL
who will keep the constitution free
from crudities and transgressions Of
we'll established principles.
Every constitution in this country
has been framed by bodies of men
composed In varying degrees, of just
such representatives. The convention
that framed the constitution OF the
United States was a pre-eminent ex-
ample of this. That most admirable
document was VIGOROUSLY the product
of series of compromises. The con-
vention that made it was composed of
some of the ablest students of the art
of government the world has known.
1t likewise contained representatives
who knew practically the needs of the
American people and saw to it shat the
constitution met those needs.
If the constitution of this State Is to
be satisfactorily revised, body of men
similarly constituted will have to be
selected to do the revision. Save us
from a constitution made solely by
students of the art of government"
Rather let their admirable but some
what impracticable, ideas be heated
and hammered and adjusted by repre-
sentatives in close touch with the peo-
ple." and thoroughly acquainted with
and loyal to their interests.
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