Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-17
THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION
"l787 and Today
BY RANDOLPH LEIGH,
Director National and International OTuorcaL Contests

the fathers created system of checks
and balances, meaning checks by tne
three departments on one another. IL
is often overlooked, however, that the
checking and balancing extended Tar
beyond that. The States were checked
("swallowed up" Luther Martin and
Patrick Henry said, and the people
| were checked. It Is the difference in the
manner in which these last two checks
worked out that makes the comparison
between the Constitution Of 1877 and its
actual substance and operation today
| Ito be referred to later) so extremely
| interesting.
The Delegates having signed the Cen
| stitution, the document was sent 70 the
| languishing Congress of the Articles OF
| Confederation. The formula according
| to which the signatures were attached
| is significant: Done in convention by
the unanimous consent Of the States
present" etc. The signatures follow:
George Washington.
New Reconsideration Langdon ana
NICHOLAS Gilman.
Massachusetts, - Nathaniel Gorham
and Rufus King.
Connecticut-Wi Samuel John
son and Roger Sherman.
New York-Alexander Hamilton.
New Jersey = William Livingston.
David Brearly, William Paterson and
Delaware-George Read, Cunning
Bedford, jr.; John Dickinson, Richard
BaSsett and Jacob Broome.
Maryland-James McHenry, Daniel
of st. Thomas Jennifer and Daniel Car
roll.
Virginia-John Blair and James
Madison, jr.
North Carolina - william Blount,
Richard Dobbs Spaight and Hugh VIII
hanson
Georgia-William Few and Abraham
Baldwin.
Pennsylvania - Benjamin Franklin,
Thomas Mifdin, Robert Morris, George
Clymer, Thomas Fitzsi1nons, Jared In
gersoll, James Wilson and Gouverneur
Morris.
South Carolina John Rutledge,
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles
Pinckney and Pierce Butler.
Commenting on the formula, Madison
says: This ambiguous form had been
drawn up by Mr.. Gouverneur Morris, in
order to gain the dissenting members"
The. Congress of the Confederation
passed the document on, without any
recommendation, to the States for the
approval or rejection Of their conven-
lions, to be called for passing on the pro-
posed, far-reaching change in govern
ment.
The Constitution was thoroughly de-
bated in the State conventions, its
adoption being in the following order
and by the following votes:
Delaware, December 6, 1877, unani-
nous.
Pennsylvania, December IL, 1887, Is
to IS.
New Jersey, December Is, 1887, unani-
nous.
Georgia, January 2, 1888, unanimous.
Connecticut, January 9, 1888, 128
to 40.
Massachusetts,, February 6, 1888, 1877
to 1913.
Maryland. April %, 1888, So to II.
South Carolina, May %, 1913, 149
to 70.
New Hampshire, June 81, 1888, 81
to As.
Virginia. June IS, 1888, 80 to 70.
New York, July 26, f788, 80 to 81.
North Carolina and Rhode Island,
the latter submitting the issue to town
meetings, instead Of a convention, re-
jected the Constitution.
With IL States sending represent
atives, the first Congress- under the Con-
stitution came into being and on March
4, 1889, George Washington, having
the electors, took the oath OF office IN
New York City. The judicial depart
ment, or at least its framework, was
set up.
Congress appropriated $685., 900 to
cover the Governments expenses for
the first year. This figure for running
the frail Government Of 1889 contrasts
rather sharply with $4,928,822, $50, ap-
propriated by the Seventy-first Congress
for 1880. The per capita cost was ap-
proximately 20 cents per inhabitant in
1889, as against about $38 per inhabit-
ant today.
North Carolina entered the Union on
November 81, 1889, and Rhode Island
followed suit in May, 1870.
(Copyright. 1919