The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-09-18
The Constitution

September IA to ~, is constitution
Week. Organizations throughout Ke-
nosha are observing the week with ap-
propriate ceremonies and talks on the
significance and Importance of the
Constitution.
The setting and inspiration of the
United States Constitution finds it's
way back over 700 years ago with the
stitution of England, dated 1915. 1t
contained the following provision:
Swift and impartial justice; Punish
mlent according 70 the offense COM
mitted; Taxation according to the
wishes of representatives of the peo-
pie; Trial by jury; Habeas corpus;
Local self-government.
The English Bill of Rights (1689)
has seven main declarations: Laws
shall not be suspended or repealed,
and taxes shall not be levied without
consent of parliament; The right of
petition shall not be denied; A stand
ing army shall not be kept in time of
peace; Subjects shall not be deprived
of the right to carry arms; Freedom
of speech and debate in Parliament
shall not be impeached or questioned
in any place outside of Parliament;
Excessive bail ought not to be requir-
ed, nor excessive fines imposed, nor
cruel or unusual punishment inflicted;
Parliament ought to assemble fire.
quently.
The Mayfiower Compact (1620) did
not provide form Of government, but
only pledged its signers to obey the
government. This was the first instance
of complete lf-government in our
history, for the assembly at James
town in 1919 was called together by
orders from the Virginia company in
England.
The Declaration of independence
marks the real beginning of the Amer
lean Republic and forms the chief
corner stone of it's foundation. In that
immortal document are enuniciated
the following principles of democracy:
That all men are created equal; that
governments are instituted among men
deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed; that for good
reason the people may abolish the old
form of government and institute a
new form.
Calm Out of Chaos.
The Articles of Confederation con-.
stituted the link between the Declara-
ton of independence and the Consti-
tuition. The end of the Revolutionary
War found thirteen independent ma
tions whose domains extended along
the Atlantic seaboard from New
Hampshire to Georgia, all inspired by
love of freedom and independence, but
all proud and intensely jealous of
their new status as independent states.
The attempt to secure any form of a
real National Government under the
Antilles OF Confederation had proved
dismal failure. Chaos reigned SUI
preme. In 1885 friends visited Wash
ington to pay their respects. This con-
ference decided to issue a call for a
conference of the representatives of
the states to be held at Annapolis. In
sufficient numbers attended to warrant
the taking of any steps toward the
great objective, and a call was drafted
requesting the states to send dele
gates to a convention to be held in
Philadelphia on the second Monday
in May, 1887, and this call was ap-
proved by Congress, calling a conven-
tion ''to meet at Philadelphia for the
sole and express purpose of revising
the Articles of Confederation"
It must be borne in mind that at
this time the idea of the United States
as a nation had not been publicity ex-
pressed. The United States simply
meant thirteen independent states
united by treaty for purpose of de-
Tense and trade. An insufficient num-
Der of delegates were present on May
IA, and the convention was not organ
lied until May %, 1897, when George
Washington was elected as its presid-
ing officer. The convention was COM
posed of the leading citizens of the
thirteen Colonies, except Rhode Island
which was not represented, and all or
most of them we're actuated by one
desire, to establish form of govern
ment that would assure the perpetuity
of the United States. Although their
powers were limited by the act of Con-
gress under the Articles of Confedera-
ton to the amendment of the existing
Articles, the convention conceived that
a greater work than this would have
to be done, and Immediately and bold
" set out to create new COMPACT to