The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-03-14
OUR DUAL GOVERNMENT.
BY William JENNINGS Bryan.

II ?
beginning there has been conflic
between the federal government ant
the State governments. 1t could moi
be otherwise. The line between tive
States can be drawn upon the earth'i
surface and marked by pillars or q
wall the boundary line between two
nations can be located and establish
ed by visible monuments; but 1t IL
different when we come to deal with
theories OF government and with
ideas. In the realm of thought words
serve as pillars and sentences as
boundary walls. but words are sub
jectto definition and sentences to con
struction-and some human tribunal
must be entrusted with the authority
to define and construct.
Our forefathers hau even greater
difficulty in drafting the constitution
In addition 70 differences OF opinion
as to the meaning CT words and cs 10
the Interpretation or phrases, they
were at variance concerning theories
! OF government. methods of admins.
tration and the balancing of powers.
They were agreed in resIrng an indie.
pendent government. and they recog.
niZed that the Articles OF Confedera.
lion were insufficient to support such
government as WIS needed, but the
members Of the convention represent.
ed all shades Of political opinion and
all degrees OF confidence in Repuu.
lican form Of government Besides
two distinct schools Of thought, led,
respectively by Jefferson and Hamll.
ton, there were those who stood be.
tween the extremes and endeayored 10
compromise conflicting opinions.
Jefferson was not member of the
Constitutional Convention. but he was
already recognized as an exponent oil
the most Democratic element, while
Hamilton, a member OF the conve,,.
ton, was the champion of the most
conservative position. The controyer.
sy was not sectional. for delegates
from the same State were to be found
on opposing sides OF fundamental prop
ositfors.
Hamiltor's Plan.
Alexander Hamilton contended with
greet ability and earnestness for "a
centralized, consolidated and aristo-
cratic government. He presented u
draft of his plan and defended It "
length; his speech, as reported at the
time by Madison and afterward Az
proved by Hamilton himself. Is pre-.
served in the debates on the adoption
OF the federal constitution. The Ham.
ilton plan contained the following gen.
eral provisions:
+ First. The supreme legislative pow.
er OF tho United States OF America ;,
be vested in two different bodies of
men; the one to be called the assem-.
bly,, the other the senate.
Second. The assembly to consist OF
persons elected by tie people, to serve
for three years.
Third. The senate TO consist u
persons elected to serve turing good
behavior; their election to be made
by electors chosen torshat purpose b.
the people. "
Fourth. The su"rcme executive /.
thority of the United States to be YES.
ed in governor. to be elected to serve
during good behavior; the election to
be made by electors chosen by til
people In the election districts afore,
said. The authorities and functions
of the executive to be as follows: to
have negative on all laws about to
be passed. and the execution of ali
laws passed, etc.
Tenth. All laws. OF the particular
States contrary to lie constitution OF
laws of the United States to be utter
~ void; and the better to prevent such
laws being passed, rne governor OF
president OF each State shall be ap
pointed by the general government
and stall have negative upon the
laws about to be passed in the State
In which he is the governor or presi
dent.
Eleventh. No state to have any
forces, land or naval; and the militia
of all the States to be under the sole
and exclusive direction Of the United
States, the officers of which militia
to be appointed add commissioned by
them.
Provisions FIVE to nine, inclusive
are omitted because they do not bea,
directly upon the subject under dis
cussion.
Provisions one, two, three, -four
ten and eleven are reproduced, as the
show the general form of the govern
ment that Hamilton had in mind, anc
the standpoint from which he viewed
government. The senate was to be
modelled after the English House o,