Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-03-18


| unions, and a minority of the voters OF
the Republic can adopt national prohibi-
| ton by amending the Federal Constitu-
| ton, and destroy one thousand millions
of dollars worth of property.
| Five millions OF voters in "a states
| CSC being the required three-fourths OF
| the states necessary to adopt Federal
| constitution amendmenD can amend the
| Federal Constitution over the protest OF
the 100000 of voters in the II remaining
states. Here is the process by which this
can be done:
| "The only method for amending the
| Federal Constitution is as follows
Amendments to Constitution-The
! Congress- whenever two-thirds OF
both houses shall deem 1t necessary,
| shall propose amendments to this
Constitution, CT, on the application
of the Legislatures of two-thirds or
the several States. shall call a con-
vention for proposing amendments,
which in either case shall be valid to
all intents and purposes as part or
this Constitution, when ratified by the
Legislatures of three-foufths of the
several States or by conventions in
three-fourths thereof, as the one or
the other mode of ratification may be
proposed by the Congress"
This provision makes the. adoption OF
the amendment depend entirely on the
favorable action of three-fourths. or 80,
of the stats acting as states and not on
the vote of a majority of the voters OF
the Republic. 1t is plain II the three
ment do not contain majority OF the
voters of the Republic, that a minority
of the voters of the Nation Will pe
amending the Constitution. In otnet
words each state has the same weight
and voice as every other, and the state
with small population counts equaiiy as
much as the one with large population IA
deciding whether or not an amendneht
shall be adopted To illustrate, Arizona
with 100000 population counts Tor as
much on this question as New YORK with
10, 900 900 of people.
To those who do not pause to con-
slider the facts this may seem plausi-
BILE and they may feel that an injus-
tice is being done to the voters IN
dense populations (where personal
liberty is much harped upon by
selfish interests which lose no OPP
portunity to breed class hatred). The
above advertisement is for no other
purpose. and it is wholly contrary to
facts.
The facts are these: After the
Revolutionary struggle the attempt at
a federation of governments without
the strong and decisive hand of
central government rapidly led to con-
ditions of anarchy. Alexadner Ham
ilton had suggested stable con-
trolling government, but 1t was years
before the convention was called at
Annapolis in Sept, 1886. Then only
minority of the thirteen states were
represented and postponement was
made to the following May at Phila-
delphia. There for four months the
ablest and most representative men OF
the country. including Washington
Madison, Franklin, Robert Morris,
Randolph. Gouverneur Morris and
Alexander Hamilton, fought out their
jealousies and made their conces-
sions. The greatest danger lay in
inequality of representation. the
states of small population (New York
then one of the smallest) feared the
larger representation according to
apportionment) of the other states.
On the other hand, the larger states
could not be expected to stand on an
equal footing in representation with
the states of one fourth their popula-
ton.
Have you ever read Alexander
Hamilton's famous address to the con-
vention in Philadelphia in 1887? If
YOU are inclined to believe this pres
ent day sophistry of great CONNER
cial evil. you had better read that ad-
dress, and learn the purpose of this
government of ours. and understand
the logic that clarified the atmos-
phere and began the settlement of the
Wrangles in constitutional convention.
They finally settled upon federal
government of TWO houses, one pro-
viding against domination of populous
states over "acres," by providing
equal representation, two and two,
and called the Senate; and one pro-
viding against acres" having an adj
vantage of people" by representa-
ton from apportionment Since those
memorable days that system of gov
eminent has prevailed.
And, to guard against any such con-
tingency as this false and misleading
advertisement in the st. Louis Re
public claims. a proposed amendment
to the Constitution must be proposed
to the states for ratification, by a
'TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF BOTH
HOUSES"
That margin above majority, in
representation of the two kinds above
described, guards against all possibiIi-
ty of minority overriding the ma
jority, as falsely claimed in the above
quoted advertisement.
That dumps their entire argument,
because they had proceeded from a
false premise.
Even were the claims of this de-
ceptive advertiser true, is not the