The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-09-22
SPEECH IS MADE
EVENT OF TODAY
HISTORY OFFAMOUS DOC
UMENT IS RELATED
MAKING OF STATUES
Decisions of United States Court
and Governmental
s Foundation n

1T Ile nOOnuds luLShSOh VI S4S -u$N&
Aato Kiwanis club today. The event
HAS featured by large attendance
" clro members and an address by
A. B. Morris of the Teachers College
who ably and Interestingly discussed
the Constitution of the united SIat-
es ana its making Mr.. Morris said:
This is Constitutional Week One
hundred thirty five years ago, on
September II, the Constitution OF
the United States was signed by the
men who framed it The klEanfs
clubs throughout the United States
are giving one day to the study OF II,
Although we are more Interested IN
the present condition of the ConSu-
tuition and of its future We realize
that il is impossible TO understand
this instrument of government with
ont the knowledge Of the conditions
under which it was framed II was
unique in many ways, but ike All
other instruments OF government, II
was the result OF the eXigencles OF
the time.
when the colonies declared their
independence OF Great Britain, auto
matically they lost their govern
ment, and were compelled to proyfde
a new one. On the same day that
the Colonial Assembly appointed
committee to draw up the Declare
ton OF independence, a second com
mittee was appointed to frame an
instrument of government Within
a few weeks, the first committee
gave its report which was entms-
iastically accepted. The second com
mittee labored as diligently and oe-
served credit for bringing before the
assembly in a very short time the
articles of government known as the
Articles OF Confederation The re-
port Of the second committee was,
however. not so unanimously re-
ceived as that of the first Weeks
and months passed before any IA
yorable consideration could be re-
ceived from the assembly. 1t was
only after two years OF debate that
the articles were finally accepted
and presented to the states for their
ratification. Then, even though the
country was in the midst OF the Rev
olutionary war, it was three years
more before a sufficient number OF
states ratify II to make II possible
TO use the instrument Of government
In 1871, the best statesmen OF the
time saw clearly that the new gov
eminent lacked sufficient powers to
make it successful. 1t was destined
20 a very short and unsuccessful life.
Il was important as a stepping stone
- a better government, and accord
M to the best students of political
rcience, it was the best written Art
c,es Of Confederation which had UP
TO that time been produced in his
tory. But the best people soon lost
confidence in II because II did not
make it possible for the states to
ray off their debts and to maintain
any security of property.
"In 1854, John Jay wrote to Wash
ington, despairing Of the condition
which existed saying that he was
afraid that within short while, the
more thoughtful class OF people
would prefer to again assume the
old relationship with Great Britain.
rather than to endure the disadvan-
tages of which they were now sub
jected. Washington conceded that
conditions were bad, in the extreme,
but he called Jays attention to the
fact that il was hardly probable that
so many things would happen almost
miraculously, in so short a period,
TO make US free and Independent
nation, unless our nation was deS-
tined to have a brighter future. He
expected that conditions would go
from bad TO worse until we would
come almost TO the brink Of ruin,
but that in our extremity, the people
would see clearly what we should
have done in the first place Then
according TO the exigencies OF the
time, we would strengthen our gov
eminent The instability and tu-
mnlt of the times drove homo to 9th
ers besides Washington the need OF
a stronger form Of national govern
ment. People could not be happy
when they saw, in brief period OF
time the accumulation II wealth
which they had been years in secur-
ing, disappearing because Of de-
preciated paper money. Conditions
were unbelievable, property was in
secure, and business was going from
bad 10 worse.
mo doubt but that many of our
fore fathers in 1887 were animated
by motives of disinterested patriot
ism, but of all the motives that gave
the men who framed the Constitu-
ton an incentive to strive against
seemingly insurmountable Difficult
ties, the most potent was no doubt
the desire to establish conditions
under which property rights and
contracts might be secured, invest
ments be made safe, and commerce
and business prosper. All OF tho
ffty-five men who met at Philadel-
phia had had practical experience in
politics. They had served in the
most responsible positions in the
States and Confederation, and were
mostly men of wealth. 1t perhaps
will be impossible to ever know TO
what extent selfish motives played
a part in the work of the convention.
It is clearly understood, however by
students of history that the CONNER
cial people Of the seaport towns, the
slave holding men of large planta-
tons, the officers of the Revolution
airy army and large property holders
were well represented in the con-
vention. 1t is impossible to find one
of the fifty five who in any direct
way represented the small property
holder, the farmer, or the mechanic
class. II seems a significant fact
that over forty OF the fifty five
members who believed to frame the
Constitution received money from
the government when Hamilton secur-
ed the refunding of the national
debt This at least emphasizes the
fact that the members of the conven
ton did not consist of political Wis
ionaries, or philosophers, who had
some theories Of government which
they wanted to be tried out, but that
II was made up of men who were de-
termined TO erect a government
which would be effective and work :