The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-02
LOOKING BACKWARD.

N V'e'"e oi our hoNernmen', and at Ieac
. ing eventS that have occurred in IN
I United States, assume that what In
been done was done with practices
unapimity BY the fathers and b
the people OF the time when the occur
] renee became fixed. Thus ii is con,
. monty assumed that the constitution o
: the United States was Cod given docu
ment, eagerly accepted by the colonie
: and adopted with practical unanimity
that the convention which framed thu
constitution was body which acted
with essential harmony, without loca
conflicts. with all the members thor
oughly devoted to the formation OF q
Federal Union, and practically agreed
upon the provisions which should be
put in the constitution 10 achieve the
end desired
Quite the contrary, however, is true.
The convention met in secret, and its
sessions were closed to the public. IT
Is true that the proceedings of the con-
ventton have been published, but only
as revised and consented to after the
convention had closed its labors. We
| find In the Boston Globe Of May 14th.
review OF some of the leading points
showing the divergence Of opinion and
the reluctance of action of number of
the colonies with respect to the con.
stitution. 1t appears from this review
made on the 125th anniversary of the
assembling OF the Constitutional Con-
vention, as well as from the standpoint
of history, that there were divcrpences
Just as pronounced, differences of opin-
ion just as bitter, contests of localities
and of special interests Just as sharp
then as now. As recited in our Boston
contemporary, the record stands thus:
George Washington was president
of the convention, and the assemblage
included Hamilton, Franklin. Madison,
Pinckney, King, Gerry, Sherman, Rut-
ledge, Randolph, Dickinson, and Morris,
all prominent In their several States,
several Of whom were destined TO great
er prominence in coming years. Patrick
Henry wns elected n delegate, but was |
so welded to State rights that he re-
fused to attend at the birth of the Ma.
tion. jefferson and John Adams were
in Europe-hnppy men. John Hancock
and Sam Adams feared a stronger Ma
tional Government and were not dele
gates.
"New England cut only small fig.
ure in the convention. Of the five Bay
State delegates only two signed the
document, Nathaniel Gorham and Rufus
King Elbridge Gerry refused to sign
because ho feared civil war. When
came to ratify the Con-
she did so by q vote of 1877 to
l5s- Rhode Island had no delegate and
was the last State to adopt the Con-
and then only by q vote of
81 to 5s. The Constitution literally
Just squeaked by.
SO dissatisfied were the States that
en amendments were proposed In 1889
md ratified two years later Next
'ame the llth amendment, adopted in
.7es, and the 18th In 1904. No further
.hanges occurred until the Civil War
made necessary the 18th, 14th, and 18th
Since the ratification of
hese amendments no changes have been
nade.D
To which we may add that the con
est was equally sharp and close in New
ork, and there was bitter opposition
lso in Pennsylvania
1t is quito true, as stated that ours !
5 the oldest written constitution in e1-
stence- II is also true that the spirit
+ that great document has never been
hanged. The early amendments were
nade to conciliate opposition to the
MON, and TO assure the States that
Tere in fear of losing something inn
ortant for themselves that they would
ose nothing substantial that they ought
have, and that the things they were
,sing could better be performed bv }
entral government than by detached !
This recital from the past is given
ecause of the constitutional amend
tents now pending, the one for the
lection OF L. s. Senators BY the people Il
. the several States, and the other for
he authorization OF the income tar. .
'either of these would IN any wav
ntagouize the general principles Of the
Just a. no amendment
dopted in the past has antsgonized or a
sssiled those principles. II is not
kelly that those principles will ever be
either by subversiva amend. 2
tents or otherwise. We are having =
ist nov virulent attack of assumed {
OF the interests Of the o
eople as such. Uuquestionably, the 2
enduIum is swinging pretty high in II
bat direction Just now; but u IS lust as
srtaiu that the p- ndulum will swing in '
be other direction when its summit
vel has been reached in the direction =
'hich II now swings. And So. in the !.
ing run. the adjustment will be made =
let about along the old lines, and the .
endulum. after the agitation. will drop Il
teady nj Just about the samo old place. "