The Ocala banner., 1922-05-12

protect those rights. and that the purpose
of government was to secure them in
them. and how could they do it, They
wanted a government of majorities where
the majority should rule. but still under
constitutional limitations. so that the
majority could never arbitrarily take away
the rights of the minority. In order that
that might be done they provided for the
division of the government into the Iegis-
lative, the executive. and the judicial de-
partmenfs so that each could be q
check upon the other; and so>csreful were
they that they provided in the constitu-
tion of this country that no man occupying
position in one department. either the
executive. or the judicial. or the legisla-
tive. could occupy position in the other
department. They then provided that the
legislative department should be divided
into two bodies. the lower house of con-
gress and the upper house of congress.
the lower house to be elected by the
people. so that we would always have in
the congress of the United States repre-
se1tatiyes there coming direct from the
people and to be in close touch with them
and their thoughts. But in order that
there might be a check upon the in
pulses of the lower house, higher house
composed of senator's was provided. the
senator's TO be elected for six years. one
third every two years. so that always two
thirds could hold over but il was provided
that these senator's should be elected by
the legislatures of the various states so
that we might have men of higher order
and more conservatism in the senate OF
the United states. so as to operate as a
check upon the temporary impulses of the
lower house They then provided that
n any measure. with all those precautions
passed congress. if the chief executive of
the United States disapproved of the
measure he could veto it, and then it
could not become law unless it was
passed by two-thirds of each branch of
congress over his head They then pro-
vided for the establishment of the su-
preme court of the United States that
could declare Invalid ana void any enact
ment of congress that infringed upon the
slightest right OF the humblest citizen Of
the land.
remarkable document
Please remember that the constitution
of the United States does not represent
grant to the people of the United States.
but that upon the contrary. 1t represents
a surrender Of the rights of the people
TO the extent that they xere surrendared
AZ that time
The Rights of the Individual
In order that those rights might be the
more perfectly secured. they defined in
this constitution the rights of the indiv-
ldual. that no matter how great he
might become. no matter how powerful he
might become. he could never interfere
with the rights of the state OF of the
nation. They provided for the rights OF
the states. so that. no matter how power
ful any state might become. no matter
how great that state might grow to be- il
could never interfere with the rights of
the individual or of the nation. They pre-
scr1bed in that constitution the rights of
the federal soyernmenti 80 that no matter
how powerful that government might oe-
come. il could never interfere with the
rights of the state or the individual What
a marvellous thought. that they should eS-
tablish a government whereby all of the
people in the United States combined could
not interfere with single solitary right
OF the humolest citizen Of the landi So
il was the almost perfection of human gov
eruurent.
Wsshington's Notable Warning
They labored for months. and il de-
veloped that there were certain things
that still needed perfection. And so for 3
period of some years. until 1903. some
twelve amendments were adopted TO the
constitution of the United States. not
amendments 10 deprive the people of their
rights. not amendments to take away
from them their rights but to perfect them.
And so in 1908. these twelve amendments
had been adopted and made part OF the
constitution Washington delivered his
farewell address to the people of the
United States: and If you VIII bear with
me I want 10 read IL you Just 4 few
country not to alter OF amend or to detract
from or to change that marvellous instru-
ment. the most marvellous perfection Of
human government ever conceived or that
ever could be conceived Here is what he
said:
Toward the preservation of your gov
eminent and the permanency of your pres