The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1927-06-30

Inauguration may wander when there
is not a restraining force of good
soid common sense. An examination
OF the documents and the evidence in
the case-Madison, "The Journal of
the Constitutional Convention" Ell
MOTT Debates and Documentary His
tory of the Constitution, reveal that
there Is not a single shred of fact
kupon which ony one of these theories
of the foreign origin of our Consti-
tuition can be substantiated.
Hannis Taylor in his "The Origin
and Growth of the American Consti-
tuition holds to the theory that the
Constitution of the United States
originated with Pelatias Webster.
Taylor halls him as the architect of
the American Constitution. The facts
IN the case, however, do not support
the theory. Sydney George Fisher
takes a much saner view in his little
book, "The Evolution of the Consti-
tuition of the United States when he
holds our Constitution to be the re-
suit of evolution and the product of
American experience.
To adopt any other theory but that
the Constitution is the result of
American experience would be to
eliminate from consideration the col
onial period of American history.
1907 to 1776. In this period there were
evolved in our country the institu-
lions of local self-government and the
representative principle. Starting
with the establishment of the Virginia
House of Burgesses in 1919 there is
a continuance in the growth of the
assemblies in all of the
colonies so that by the time the Revo-
luton the political struggle has be-
come one between parliament on the
one hand and the representative as
semblies on the other BY the year
l776, each of the colonies regardless
of whether they were royal, self-gov-
erning OF proprietary had substan-
TALLY the same form of government
a system consisting of an executive, a
bicameral legislature and judiciary.
The experience of the colonists were
the same in government
lines. This colonial tradition and ex-
oerience served as the background for
The framing of the Constitution.
Then the evolution of the idea of
Union or the concept cs federalism
'annot be overlooked. This is the at
'empt to unity two or more of the
colonies and we can trace the move
nent on through from 1913, with the
New England Confederation, 1858, the
New England Dominion, 1896, the
Penn Plan of Union, the twenty-five
'lans of Union suggested from 1896
md 1858, 1854, the Albany Plan of
Union, 1765, the Stamp Act Congress
TIA, the First Continental Congress
md 1776-1S71, the Second and Third
continental Congresses. Nor can we
'verlook the experiences under the ar
icles of Confederation. 1t was be-
ause these articles had failed to
perate that the fifty-five trainers
we're convened in Philadelphia during
he summer of 1887. They were there
o remedy the defects in the articles
nd render them adequate to the ex-
gencies of the Union. Between 1776
nd 1877, the original thirteen states
ad framed their first constitutions
nd many of the trainers had played
part in this constitution making.
hey leaned heavily upon this expert
nee.
The Constitution contained depar-
lres in government which were new
the world of that day. For example,
Or the first time in the history of
overnment, federal system was es-
ablished with the sovereign power to