The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-11-01

states of New York, Massachusetts anu
Virginia tried to obstruct the measure,
and they were past masters in all the
arts of obstruction But at length the
Congressional vote was taken and the
Constitution was transmitted to the
several states.
PENNSYLVANIA was the first to ap-
prove it for submission to the vote
for a Constitutional convention. she
carried it by a vote of IS to 10 in her
Legislature, which had but one house.
AS AZ were necessary to make quo
rum, and the minority determined to
defeat the Constitution by staying a
way, two members of the minority
were taken violently from their rooms
and fOrcibly held in their seats in the
Legislature, where, mutterlng and u.s.
ing bad language, they were compelled
to sit during the brief space of time
required for the vote, which went
through, As to 2. In this dignitied and
far-visioned manner did the first State
Legislature go on record in favor OF
the new league of nations.
Bitter Campaign.
Then followed stump speeches,
pamphlets, cariCatureS, VilltlCatlon,
which is more instructive than edify-
ing to remember What need had the
Thirteen Colonies for a new Consti-
tuition? Were not the Articles of Con-
federation good enough for us? Had
we not under them whipped Great
Britain? And who were those men
who were trying to cut the Thirteen
Colonies loose from their we'll known
policy and send them to certain wreck
in their folly? Washington-whO was
Washington? A good general maybe.
but what did he know about politics?
There were not lacking those who OPP
emily denounced him as an old fool
AS for Hamilton, he was believer in
monarchy anyway. Franklin was an
old dotard who had come back from
FRANCE to bring us into bondage to
European ideals.
And how was the new government
to work? There would have to be a
president, doubtless; and what was a
president but puppet king?
'If one Of these states got into
trouble must another state get her
out? If Rhode Island continued to
muddle matters as she always had
done, must Massachusetts, stand re-
sponsible? If Delaware went to war
must New York send soldiers. to de
fend her?
Lee Heads Opposition.
Pennsylvania had been first to ap-
prove the Constitution for submission
to convention. But it was done, as
will be remembered, against the pro-
test of two gentlemen held forcibly i'll
their seats and fifteen others locked
in their rooms and refusing to come
out and vote. These prOtestants or.
ganized a vigorous opposition, ana
Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, be-
came the leader of it; for Pennsyl-
vania would be the first state whose
convention would vote. Then rose
James Wilson, whom we have almost
forgotten, and met the tillibustering
and obstructive measure with calm
reason and skilful parliamentary pro-
cedure. While Pennsylvania was held
up in this fashion Delaware hurried to
vote and approved the Constitution,
and New Jersey followed; but not till
Pennsylvania, forced to vote, adopted
the Constitution by two-thirds vote
of 46 to %. Only nine states out OF
the thirteen were needed, and one
third of them approved in December
1887.
ITO be sure, James Wilson was
hanged and burned in etfigy for what
he did, and the almanac of 1888, con-
tanning the text of the new Constltu
ton was publicly cursed and burned
with due ceremony in divers and sun
dry places in this free and enlighten
ed land. -
Georgia, already committed to the
measure by her slave representation
and the privilege of importing negroes
for twenty years, ratified the Consti
tuition on January 2, and Connecticut
grateful that New York could not tax
her potatoes and that she had as many
senators as Massachusetts,, followed
Just a week later.
Massachusetts, Yields.
Massachusetts, was the first or the
large states to come in. She came with
great travail of SOUL In her consti
tutional convention were, among
others, twenty-four ministers, and to
their everlasting honor they were a.
mong the NOSE intelligent and pro,
gressive men there. But it is doubtfu
how the matter would have gone had
not old Sam Adams changed his mind
He sat for three weeks in the cOnVen'
ton and never opened his mouth, and
when he finally spoke it was to ute.
three words, 4 am satisfied On Feb
ruary 6, 1888, Massachusetts, ratified
the Constitution by very narrow
vote of 1877 to 1853, becoming the sixth
state to ratify.
Maryland came in on April IS, and
New Hampshire's convention met, but
timidly adjourned until June to see
what the other states would do South
Carolina ratified ip May. and New
Hampshire met again in June and
ratified; Virginia followed after lone
and bitter debate, making one more
than the necessary nine states. Most
bitter was the controversy in New
York, where Hamilton won a belated
victory with a small majority of 80 tt
II on July &C.,
Petty as were tile large states, the
small ones, which had most to gair
by the union, proge0 even more petty
North Carolina did not ratlfy unit
George Washington had been Presi
dent for some months and Rhode is
land became one of the United States
of America May IS, 1890. Had sh,
waited just a little longer Vermont
which was not one of the origina
thirteen states, would have gotten il
ahea1 of her For a year and more i
had been Rhode Island uber allies;
but Rhode Island came in, with many
having SO many sacred interests tt
guard that she needed two capitals