The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-04
ECONOMIC INTERPRETATION.

An Economic Interpretation Of tho Constitution
or The rnlt.H States. by Charles \. Beard.
Associate Professor OF Pclitcs In .coluJbia uui-
v-rsi,y The Macmillan Company. Publishers.
Now York
The purpose OF the author Of this book
In giving II TO the public Is TO suggest
new lines OF historical research In the
Interpretation nj the Constitution. He
explains that the book is fragmentary.
decidedly so. that being hts purpose rdth-
er than TO walt for tho treatment OF the
subject IN an exhaustive fashion. For
tho arst time In this inquiry. the records
OF the Treasury Department at Wash
ineton are used in connection with
study Of the formation OF the Constltu-
tion. and these records furnish field
for many years research. 20 saw nothing
OF other records along similar lines.
printed and imprinted, which throw light
upon the economic condition OF the United
states between 11S3 and 1887. To those
who would Inquire why such fragment
AIRY study Is presented now rather than
held for the final word. the explanation
IS that the author Is unable TO give more
than an occasional period 10 uninterrupt-
ed studies. and he cannot expect. there
fore, TO complete within a reasonable
time the survey OF the whole fleld Ac
SorGinE!y. he prints the book In It's pres
cnt fragmcntary form "ln the hope that
scholars may be encouraged to turn
away from barren political history TO "a
study OF the real economic forces which
condition great movements in politics.
ters. the first OF which is entitled His
toricaI Interpretation in the United
Then foley In orSeT % Tbc sHP
Movement for the Constitution" Prop
erty Safeguards In the Eelection Of Dele
gates. THE Economic interests OF the
Members of the Convention" The Con,
stitution as an Economic DOCUMENT. /"
THE Political Doctrines of the Members
of the Convention" "The Process OF
Ratification, Tho Popular Vote on the
Vote on the Constitution" and The
Economic Conflict over Ratification as
Viewed by Contemporaries"
There is no question OF the suggestive
chapters. Political principles grow out
OF economic conditions, and the author
is quite right In the basic principle upon
which he has sonnav The Sass
the Revolution and the taking up OF tho
formation OF the new Government
through the framing and adoption OF the
Constitution. does in fact furnish the KEY
10 many problems that otherwise would
be unsolvable, When one understands
what given political furore Is all about
conditions or unbearable privations, then
he understands better than he possibly
could DO by mere consideration OF the
political phases Of the question. not only
what the trouble was all about but how
far the political arguments and conclu-
sions met the economic demands from
which they arose. 1t IS a fruitful field
OF research that Professor Beard thus
opens, and we cannot but agree with his
conclusion that he does we'll to present
his studies even In this fragrnentary
form, in the hope that others may take
up and supplement his researches and
through the efforts OF many all the facts
may he made known. and a unified study
may be made Of them oil. by some COM
petent historian and publictst All
studies OF this kind are Of high impor-
lance in this country and th[S paTricu-
lar phase of the study OF the Constitu
ton Is Of unusual importance, since It
opens UP a line OF inquiry which is prac-
tically new