The Coolidge examiner., 1935-09-13

soil Thomas Mnln Gouverneur Morris Robert
Morris and James Wilson.
SOUTH CARoLINA-Plerce Butler. Charles
I'lnckncy. Charles c. P!nckney and John Rud.
ledge.
yIRGiNIA-John Blair. James Madison and
George Washington.
OF this number more than hnlf u. were law.
sers Six are classified as statesmen" three
were farmers. landowners or planters. three were
merchants. TWO bankers or "nnanclers." one an
educaior. two physicians and one a soldier. Most
of ,hem were well educated Nine Of them had
studied in the Inner Temple or the Middle Ten.
ple In England. one at oxford under Blackstone
and two In Scottish universities Half of the
delegates were graduates OF American or Euro
pean colleges. three were professors and one.
Dr. William : Johnson was president OF Colum.
bia college. on leave OF absence 10 act as dele.
gate from Connecticut
Moreover Il was a convention oi young men
The patriarch Benjamin Franklin was then
elghty-on years old. but 20 Of the - were un.
der forty years of age. Jonathan Dayton OF New
Jersey was the "baby" OF the conventIcn--only
twenty seven years old. Charles Plnckney. who
submitted the first draft OF the Constitution. was
only two years his elder Alexander Hamilton
of New York. destined to play leading role In
the convention but a more important one IN Sc
curing the ratification ~ the Constitution. was
barely thirty and James Madison who would
become known the Father OF the ConstItu.
ton" was thlrty.sIx.
John Marshall then only ihlrty-twc years old
was not a delegate 10 the convention. But be-
cause Of his part In securing the ratification Of
he Constitution and the work he did as chief
Justice OF the United States later In Interpreting
II and strengthening the federal foundations OF
the government by means OF H. he Is entitled TO
a high place among the Makers OF the Consttu.
ton
The date set for the opening OF the convention
was the second Monday In May. The roads OF
that time were poor and travel was expensive
ard slow. II was not until two weeks later
that the first meeting was held
The convention met formally for the first time
en- Friday May -. although only few more
than half the delegates had arrived by that time.
Seven states were represented at this meeting.
according 10 one authority: according 10 another,
there were nine. Whatever the number, those
present got down 10 business al once by eecting
a presiding officer Benjamin Franklin because
~ his age and the fact that this was his home
city was the logical choice for this position but
he graciously waived that honor and suggested
the choice OF George Washington. the late com
mander In the struggle for liberty.
Washingions election was unanimous and he
presided throughout the convention with his
usual dignity. His chair was on a raised plat
form and II was a rule OF the sessions that the
members should stand at their places, upon ad-
journing. until he had preceded them from the
room. Occasionally the great virginian yielded
the chair and took the floor as a Virginia dele
gate to express his views on the question at
issue.
on Monday. May 2s, the convention entered
upon the business for which 1t had been called
and from that time until September II these men
struggled daily with their great task In that
stuny room in the old State house, suffering ter
ribly from the heat and-it must be admitted -
also suffering from WEAKNESS with the long
speeches OF some of the delegates. One OF them
actually spread his speech over a period Of two