Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21

Il
approving the method of election. Del
egate Elbridge Gerry thought the
| moneyed interest would be more Sc
cure in the hands of the state legisla-
| lures than In those of the people at
large; but the Madison papers do not
show that any other delegate concur
red with him in that view. Obvious
ly, the problem was one for the con-
vention to solve for itself. 1t had had
no preliminary instruction from any
teacher better informed The 1888
pamphlet Of Pelatiah Webster, which
Hannis Taylor in his recent work,
The Science Of Jurisprudence"
| claims to have "unearthed." and
prints as an appendix-and from
which he claims the delegates who
met four years later lin 1850 in con-
vention, had become familiar with a
| rational and consistent scheme of gov:
ernment--that pamphlet, while it ad.
vised the establishing Of a legislative
system having two branches, gave no
hint concerning the mode of electing
the members thereof.
The solution proved to be most diff
cult. The convention voted, ten ayes
and one nay. against postponing con-
sideration of Mr.. Dickinson's motion,
and later the same day, by unanimous
vote, approved the proposal that the
senators ought to be elected by the in
dividual states. This, however, was
only step toward solution. There
was failure, until much later, to fix
the number Of senators from each
state, whether the number from each
should be the same, or should be
chosen in proportion to population
Again and again in some form the
question required. The small states
insisted on equality of representation
in the second branch: Mr.. Patterson
of New Jersey declared that sover-
eighty presupposed equality; he was
opposed to large state having L
greater vote in that branch than Il
small one: said New Jersey would
never confederate on any plan of In
equality. On June 18th, Roger Sher-
man proposed that the house of rep
resentatives be chosen in proportion
to population, and that in the senate
each state have single ballot-per-
haps meaning also single senator
Delegates Rutledge and Butler Of
South Carolina advocated giving a
4
ton: which proposal seemed to find
no favor. Roger Sherman, impatient
at the delay in arriving at anything
then pass on the question whether
in the second branch.
The Madison papers disclose the
great solicitude members felt as to
whether it were possible to harmonic
discordant views and agree on a con
stitution, and their appreciation of the
grave consequences that must flow
from failure. On June Goth. Madison
expressed this feeling whar - point
ed out that it was more than proba-
BILE that they were digesting plan
which, If it became operative, would
| decide forever the fate of republican
government. Alexander Hamilton
concurred with him in this, and add
ed that If they did not give that form
due stability, it would be "disgraced
and lost among ourselves -disgraced
and lost to manking forever"
On July I'd it was moved that in
the second branch each state should
have an equal vote; but this was not
agreed to: 1t "passed in the mega
tive" On the 7th, however, on the
report of committee, it was voted
that each state should have one vote
in the senate. On the 14th, NJ.
Pinckney proposed that the senate
have thirty-six members, and speci-
fed the numbers from each state
O. g., five from Virginia, one from
Delaware; the numbers unequal. This
was not accepted. On the 10th, on
| the question of agreeing to the report
as amended, including equality of
votes in the second branch-it pass.
ed in the Affirmative But this was
not decisive. Patterson of New Jer-
sey was ready, If Mr.. Randolph should
move an adjournment sine die, dissolv-
ing the convention, to second the mo-
! ton. with all his heart" Mr. Ran
dolph disclaimed having thought of
making such a notion he had i'll
view merely an adjournment till the
next day, in order that some concilia-
tory expedient might if possible be de-
vised. 1t was in this immediate con
nection that Mr.. Rutledge made the
pathetic appeal before mentioned-to
keep the government up a little long
er. Mr.. Randolph could see no reason
for an adjournment, as he could see
no chance of compromise: the little
states were evidently fixed in their
determination. Evidently 1t was for
the large states to decide if they
would accept the ultimatum of the
small ones. The convention then adj
Journed till the next day. Before it
J met next day, representatives of the
large states consulted. The spirit
of compromise had become strong
with them. and in the convention on
the 18th they did not press for con-
sideration of the controverted poin-,
apparently fearing to do SO; but en-
tered upon discussion of the powers
with which the legislature should be
! endowed.
i On July 23d further consideration of
the matter was resumed. A commit
tee Of detail, of which John Rutledge
of South Carolina was made chairman,
was appointed, to whom were referred
resolves and motions previously favor
ably acted on, that they might be put
into acceptable form. One resolution
SO referred was, that in the second