Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-02-19
Alexander HamiltOn's Plan.

takes the editor 20 task for saying that
Hamilton's proposed plan of govern
ment provided for President and
Senators for life. The reader referred
to says that that statement ''has no
in fact" aud suggests that
Hamilton's plan was 10 have them
serve during "good behavior" What
is the distinctionP II a man holds
office during good behavior and cannot
be put out except by impeachment,
wherein does his term differ from the
term of one who holds office for life,
but can also be put out of office by i'm
peachment?
Hamllton's plan will be found in the
to the Madison papers, page
5S4. In note it is stated that Colonel
Hamilton placed in the hands of Mr..
Madison for preservation a document
outlining his idea of "the constitution
which he would have wished to be
proposed by the convention" A copy
of this document was kept by Mr..
Madison and published by him, the
original having been returned to Mr..
Hamilton and found among Hamilton's
papers at his death. In future years
Hamilton, forgetting the text of the
paper, was under the impression that
in his plan the Presidents term had
been limited to three years. Section
9, article 4, of Mr.. Hamilton's pro-
posed constitution says of the Pres
ident that che shall hold his place
during good behavior, removable only
by conviction, on impeachment, for
some crime or misdemeanor. Sec
tion 6, article 3, says of the Senators
that they "shall hold their places dur
ing good behavior, removable only by
conviction, on impeachment. for some
crime or misdemeanor.
According to Hamilton's plan the
Senate was to consist of persons chosen
by electors "elected for that purpose
by the citizens and inhabitants Of the
several States," and then he proceeds
to fix property qualification for the
electors who are to choose the Sen
ators. They must have "in their own
right or In the right of their wives,
an estate in land for not less than life
or term of years whereof, at the
time Of giving their votes, there shall
be at least fourteen years unexp,red. "
Not only did he want the President
to hold office for life (unless i'm
peached), not only did he want SEN
ators to hold Office for lifei (unless i'm
peached), and elected by electors hav-
ing prescribed property qualification,
but article s, section /, of his plan
provided "that the governor or pres
ident of each State shall be appointed
under the authority OF the United
States and shall have right to mega
tive all laws about to be passed In the
State of which he shall be governor or
president, subject to such qualifica-
tions and regulations as the Legisla'
ture OF the United States shall pre-.
SCRIBE"
Section 2, of the same article. pro-
vides that "each governor or president
of State shall hold Office until sue.
cessor be actually appointed, unless
he die or resign, or be removed from
Office by conviction on impeachment.
1t will be seen that Mr.. Hamilton
wanted life terms In the Federal Gov.
ernment and also wanted the Fedora.
Government to appoint the governor;
of the States who were to have veto
over State legislation, and these gov
ernors, unless they resigned or were
impeached, should hold Office during
life unless the Federal authorities saw
fit to supersede them. The people O.
the State had no authority in the mat
ter whatever.
But why this dispute as to the views
OF Alexander Hamilton The record
is clear, and there is no excuse for mis-
understanding it. The trouble II
simply this. Hamilton did not believe
in republican form Of government. l
is so stated on page 244 OF the Madison
papers. Here is the language used
"He acknowledged himself not t.
think favorably of republican govern
ment; but addressed his remarks tt
those who did think favorably of it, il
order to prevail on them to tone thei
government as high as possible.
Hamilton's distrust of the peopl
manifested itself at every turn. Ol
page 203 OF the Madison papers will
be found report of his speech in tn
convention in which he praised tn
English House of Lords, as "a mos
, noble institution, and added, "hav
ing nothing to hope for by change
and sufficient interest by means @
their property, In being faithful to tn
national interest, they form perma
nent barrier against every perniciou
innovation, whether attempted on th