Evening star., 1927-09-17
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

September 1.-THE 14Oth anniversary
Of the ratification of the American
Constitution by the ninth State OF the
| total 13-marks a birthday of the Ma
| tion, for when nine States had SO rati
| fed it the Constitution became an
actual force. 1t is therefore the real
| birthday of the United States Federal
Government.
| The rebel colonies might, in fact
have so broken their old ties, without
succeeding in establishing a lasting
| form of government for themselves
| George Washington, after winning the
Revolutionary War. felt the gravest OF
misgivings as to the future of the IL
colonies. Even during the stress of
his leading the fight for independence
| he was in active correspondence with
the civilian leaders at home, pointing
out the inadequacy of the federation
and urging that Virginia lead the 9th
ers in surrendering it's sovereign State
| rights, so far as necessary to create
a strong and effective Federal Govern
ment, with power to "coerce" the sew
eral States in enforcing Federal laws
| Neither Washington, jefferson nor
| Madison viewed with alarm the con
cession Of State rights to the central
| Government. SO long az such concas
sion made the Government strong and
| the Nation a Union, one and insepa.
able" 1t remained still their own
| Nation.
Today the United States Constitu.
| ton is the oldest unchanged written
constitution in the world. Europe has
her France. her Poland, her Greece,
| her German Republic and other re
publics," all with constitutions. but
either they have been modelled after
the American fundamental law or
| they have evolved along lines which
to Americans seem far less democratic
than that adopted for America 140
years ago. Spain is soon to adopt a
new constitution, which makes the
Assembly chosen by the King. not
elected by the masses. The nation re-
mains a constitutional monarchy and
| not democracy.
Quoting from a well known authority
on the Constitution, James M. Beck,
LII. d., even from his brief in
defense of the Ware election by Penn.
| syivania as a member Of the Senate.
and the possible rejection of any elect
| ed member by the respective body of
Congress. the author writes:
The Constitution, as framed by the
| great convention and reluctantly and
grudgingy ratified by the America n
people. was the wisest and noblest as
sertion Of constitutional morality in
the annals Of statecraft.''
| That seems to second the familiar
| characterization of it by Gladstone.
The astute lawyer, Mr. Beck. after
testifyng to the great work which
has created the greatest republic in
| the history Of civilization, limits it
with but" when he depicts the al
| legged vanishing rights of the States
and erosion of the Constitution" for
| which Washington pleaded and JEFF
ferson indorsed. in order to make pos
sible central government which
| would have power, not merely to
| recommend to the States. but to
"coerce" it's own edicts upon recall
| citrant or corrupt Sovereign com.
monwealths."
In the presence Of so much agita-
| ton Of q subversive nature intended
to undermine and destroy our Cow
| ernment-and all organized govern
! ments-One of the greatest counter
acting movements is the nationwide
| Oratorical contests among pupils of
the public schools, which contests are
| confined to serious analyses of the
Constitution. These contests begin in
local communities, in which the VIC
tor is chosen as champion in State
! or district contests. out OF which
! finally comes the great national con-
| test between the star orators from
the different sections of the country.
The result Is not confined to the mere
elOquence of the youthful champions,
but it is manifested in the national
awakening to interest in what the
Constitution really is.
The masses discover that the Con.
| stituton Is not a product of the
, States, as such, but that I'VE, the
| people" as individuals. regardless of
! State boundaries, had most to do with
its framing. The Federal Govern.