The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1914-07-30

County Unit Plan" of hold
1ng primary elections. My reasons
for surprise are few and will be
Strictly stated.
It is we'll known by all that our
State Constitution is modelled upon
that Of the, United States, as are all
the Constitutions of the other States
OK the Union. Of this Constitution
Hon. WIN. E. Gladstone, one of the
greatest minds of recent ages, said,
SIT is the most wonderful work ever
struck off at a given time by the
brain and purpose Of man" This
statement was made by him after
this Constitution had been tested by
one hundred years use. This instru-
1aent was made by the Fathers Of
the Republic headed by George
Washington. Under it our Nation
has grown to be the richest and most
powerful on the globe. All Repub-
lies on the earth, including the most
recently established ones of China
and Portugal, have copied it with
tile single exception of Switzerland.
These facts being true, then why
should we be dissatisfied with it's
form? If its plan and form is the
best in the world and our State is
modelled upon it, why not see that
it is enforced as written, and why
D0t follow it in our political govern
ment as well as our civil govern
ment?
The question of how to vote in
conventions and law making bodies
has been one that has caused trouble
in all ages It was the first one that
had to be settled in the Convention
presided over by Gen. Washington
in 1887, and which had assembled
for the purpose Of drafting the pres
ent Constitution of the United
States. Governor Morris and some
other Northern delegates advised
that the large States should at the
outset unite in insisting, that the
equality Of States in voting was un-
reasonable, and should refuse to as
sent to it, just as some insist that
the large counties should refuse to
assent to approximate equality Of
counties in Georgia in voting in
party conventions. Madison, proba-
bly, the greatest mind in the Conven-
ton, led the Virginia delegation in
opposition to it, although Virginia
j
He said that such an attempt might
beget fatal alterations and disrupt
the Convention, as it most surely
would have done.
After some agitation Morris and
the others dropped their plan and
the votes were counted by States,
each State having one vote in the
Convention, and in this manner was
the Constitution adopted.
During the session of the Con-
vention it was proposed by various
Northern delegates at different
times that each State should be rep
resented in the National Congress
according to the amount of taxes
paid; according to population, &C.
cording to area, etc. If the first had
been adopted New York would have
at the present time about all the rep
resentatives and Senators and all the
Southern States might have one be-
tween them. If the second had been
adopted few Eastern and North
ern States would control the House
and Senate. If the third plan had
been adopted the Western States
which have a small and scattered
population, and not much wealth
would control. The fathers of the
Republic were profound students of
the history Of all ages, and knew
why all Nations had been wrecked
and especially why Republics of the
past, such as Greece, Rome, Venice.
and others had not survived. SO