, 1922-09-16
We the Bloc-Or We the
People

. AIaAA 49, 49, - h4A6LA ~ AANQAE
that day TO reading and studying the
document containing the organic law
J OF the republic. observes the Kansas
city Star.
Whoever reads the Constitution
and we all need to-win fine its most
significant words in the opening OF
the preamble TO It. They are. I'VE
the people OF the United States.'' This
Is the first government ever founded
deriving its authority from such a
source. The Romans were fond OF
talking about the senate and the
Roman people" but the Roman PEG.
pie. legally speaking. were n very
small class OF the population. Tho
English government derived its au
thority from ''the estates of the
realm" but the people was only one
OF these and untn very modern times
the least Important. Not until the
American Constitution was adopted,
and that was not until a nine years
experiment OF government founded
on the authority of the states had
failed, was It ever proposed to rest
a government upon the authority OF
all the people to be governed.
There was In the constitutional
I N0AANEnAAIlA ven ktINQuE 0OuOL OF
the wisdom OF THU experiment, and
that doubt ways based upon the fear
that the people OF tho thirteen states
were not sufficiently united fl in
~terest. or would feel hat they were
not. to give 20 the government the
support essential to its success. Many
Of the delegates wanted to make the
state the unit on which the general
government should rest. and in fact
It was the belief Of many that the
convention did not have the authority
10 do more than revise the old Arti.
elcs OF Confederation which were
merely n compact between the states.
This belief was so strong that some
Of the states refused to participate
when the convention determined to
discard the Articles OF Confederation
entirely and draw up a completely
new Constitution.
THE distrust of the people that
led to this division of opinion was not
III founded, and Americans have only
to look about them today to perceive
the evidence that the conflict OF in
t~erests which some of the Philadel.
phia delegates were ay4ara existed
among n people of ths thirteen
states is still existent among the
people Of tho forty-elght.
This diversity of interest, or what
is felt TO be that. IS one Of the great.
est obstacles hat now beset the
course Of the American government
In carrying out the purpose to make
the nation "a more perfect union
and to promote the general well
fare" Those objects have frequently
been lost sight of in the contest Of
interests not those of the whole peo.
pie TO make their own union more
perfect and to promote their own well
fare solely. Organizations have
grown up all over tho ountry whose
objects are to get special legislation
for themselves. or to get the power
OF the government extended or limit.
ed for their own protection in the
one case or to give them more free.
Com of action in the other. I'VE the
people" has come to be Eve the
manufacturing interests" or Eve the
agricultural interests" or 1--WE the
labor interests and each inteeest
clamors at the doors of congress for
legislation of its own. The power of
congress Ito lay and collect taxes,
duties. imposts and excuses" has been
used to turn revenue bills Into tariff
bllls-and every American knows
what that distinction has come TO
mean. In the making Of those bills
the interests OF a class have frequent.
ly been more powerful thar the in.
~terests of the people.
THE power of congress to call ont
the militia Ito execute the laws of
the union and suppress insurrec-
ton" has been combated by a class
that regards lawlessness and insur-
rection as legitimate means of en-.
forcing its interests against those OF
another class or against the whole
people.
The power OF congress to regulate
commerce . among tho several
states has been combated by a class
that refuses to submit to government
regulation of child labor.
IF this is to remain a government
of the people. as the Constitution de.
clares 1t is, the people must them.
selves repress these conflicts OF in.
terest and reassert that unity the
founders assumed when they gave Il
the form they lid We cannot be a
nation of classes, racial. business or
occnpational; a nation of special in.
terests, groups OF bIocs. and at the
same time successfully operate a
government founced ON the authority
of all the people. Unless the people
assume their interests to be common
their government cannot be expected
to. A government and people 100
per cent American is not made I'D Of
parts 10 per cent one thing and 10
per cent another. or Of any number
of lesser parts that are not IN them.
selves American in spirit or practice.
a whole a only be made of parts
OF the same fabric.
Americans should read and study
their Constitution as the governor OF
Kansas advises. They ought to know
its a~ntecedents, its objects and its
compromises. There isn't a wasted
or a meaningless word in It. 1t was
wrought by tremendous effort that
more than nee seemed about to fall
and by some of the greatest Ameri
cans who have ever lived. Their main
division was over a question thai
4 could not be DECIDED by them alor.