The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-22
Facts and Fables About Washington ndthe Fathers

The Constitution was so framed as
to centralize government to the
greatest degree, but giving a SEM
blance Of democracy Alexander
Hamilton and many others urged the
president be elected for life, as
should also one branch Of congress.
That Constitution has been made al
most impossible of amendment can
be realized when we consider that
after 1873 years only a score Of
amendments have been made possible
Professor Smith in his book on the
American Constitution says that less
than one fortieth Of the population
Of the country, properly distributed,
can prevent any amendment from be-
ing made to the Constitution.
Political Depravity of the Fathers.
Rum running, smuggling, and slave
trading had schooled the Fathers" in
all manner Of fraud, tricks, and
demagogy. They were therefore well
fitted for the task of drawing up a
new constitution for the country.
"The delegates" says Mclaughlin,
believed that society existed for the
preservation of private property"
even as their descendants of wealth
and power believe today.
Woodrow Wilson, in one Of his
books characterizes the Fathers" in
this fashion, "The government had
been originated and organized upon
the initiative and primarily in the in
terest Of the mercantile and wealthy
classes. Originally conceived as an
effort to accommodate commercial dis
putes between stctes, it had been
urged to adoption by a minority, I'M
der the concerted leadership Of able
men representing a ruling class"
Perhaps McMaster gives us an even
better picture of them. He says, "a
very little study Of long-forgotten
politics will suffice to show that in
filibustering and gerrymandering, in
stealing governorships and legisla-
lures, in using force at the polls, in
colonizing and distributing patron
age /. in all the frauds and tricks
that go to make up the worst form
of politics, the men who founded our
state and national governments were
always our equals, and often cur mas
ters."
When the constitution was finally
presented to the various states for
acceptance, the Fathers" resorted to
every means at their command to Sc
cure its ratification by them. Money,
force, fraud and demagogy were all
resorted to. The men who in the con-
vention had sneered at and abused the
masses now appeared as their spokes-
men and champions.
It was finally adopted-but by a
minority vote. Only six Of the states
adopted it without any qualifications.
The remaining seven in adopting it
| recommended amendments ranging
from four by South Carolina to thirty
two by New York. Another
worthy of consideration in its az
ton is the restricted number of vo
who had any say whatsoever in
new republic, which had declared tn
"all men are created free and equal,
each with the same chance to enjoy
life, liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness. "Of the mass of unskilled la
borers" to again quote McMaster,
"the men who dug bitches, carried
loads, or in harvest time helped the
farmer gather in his hay and grain
it is safe to say that very few, if any,
ever in the course of their lives cast
vote" The Republic at its first
census had a population of four mil
lions, but of these, probably not
more than 10000 men ever had the
right to vote" The freemen of that
time constituted about one fifteenth
of the total population.
The sacred character of the consti-
tuition and of the revolutionary GA
theirs" has been thoroly exploded. But
the ruling class will continue to spread
false information regarding them as
long it can possibly do so. If the
celebration of the Sesquicentennial
means anything to the workers, it
should mean a campaign Of elighten-
ment regarding the early history Of
this country.
In summing up some of the points
which have been dealt with in the
space of this article we cannot do bet
ter than quote the words of A. M.
Simons:
''The organic law of this nation was
formulated in secret session by a body
called into existence thru a conspira-
tory trick, and was forced upon a dis
franchised people by means of dis
honest appOrtionment in order that
the interests Of a small body OF
wealthy rulers might be served"
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