The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1963-05-10
Published At Washington
If The Founding Fathers Could Look At U. S. Today

If the countrys Founding Fathers should
happen to return today they would find plenty
to startle them.
They would see the U. S. Army occupying
the campus of one State university. There
would be the central Government telling some
States who should vote They would see other
States under federal court order to reappor-
ton election districts to reduce the power of
rural areas and increase the power of the
large metropolitan areas
Masses in the cities-much feared back in
1737-Would hold the balance of political pow
er. A Federal Government grown highly cen
tralized, now would be all-powerful.
History lesson. BY going back to the ideas
expressed by those who framed the Constitu-
ton of the United States. people can learn how
little the Government of today resembles the
one its orignators had in mind in terms of
power and function.
The Federal Government, though provid-
ing form of central government, was de-
signed by the founders to be relatively weak
What has emerged is Government that has
grown strong as the times appeared to re-
qulre more and more authority to deal with
problems that became national in scope
The men who built the Government of this
country distrlsted centralized power above
everything else This fear existed before the
new Federal Government was established.
When George Washington assumed the
Presidency he found a foreign office consist
ing only of John JAY two clerks and AM
bassadors to London and Paris: the Army had
an authorized strength of only $40 men and
the Treasury was flat broke. Still the idea of
a strong central government was suspect.
Today all the emphasis is on bringing
about more democracy in this country and
abroad. The idea centers around the doctrine
Of "one person. one vote.
Trainers of the Constitution rejected that
idea from the start. They quickly concluded
that in any society. factions would band to-
gether to try to gain their ends at the ex-
pense of others People were regarded as es-
sentially selfish and easily misled by dema-
gogues
"A wise legislator" Said Alexander Ham
llton: Men will pursue their interests. 1t is
as easy to change human nature as to oppose
the strong current of selfish passions. wise
legislator will gently divert the channel and
direct it. if possible, to the public good
Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts warned:
The evils We experience flow from the ex-
cess of democracy. The people do not want
virtue, but are the dupes of pretended pa
triotS
Fearful Of an excess OF democracy" the
Founders also rejected monarchy. They had
had enough of that under King George III of
England and his colonial governors Instead,
majority of them favored a republican form
of governmental federation of strong States
with limited powers
James Madison, sometimes called 1.-The
father of the Constitution, explained why
republican form of government was favored.
YI,,Io ~.
said. governing is delegated to representatives
who refine and enlarge the public views by
passing them through the medium Of chosen
body Of citizens. whose wisdom may best dis
Germ the true interest of their country and
whose patriotism and love of justice will be
least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or
partial considerations It may we'll happen
that the public voice pronounced by the rep
resentatives of the people. will be more con
sonant to the public good than if pronounced
by the people themselves y
Needed: .'precautenS" Even with this
form of representative government rather
than pure democracy. Madison saw the need
for auxiliary precautions. He commented
that the accumulation of all powers Iegis-
lativc. executive and judiciary in the same
hands may Justly be pronounced the very
definition of tyranny.
So Madison and his colleagues at the Con-
stitutlonal Convention in Philadelphia decided
on government in which the legislative OK
ccutlVe and judiciary were separated This
disrust Of centralized power brought a Fed
eral Government with checks and balances
The idea was to prevent any branch of the
Government from becoming too powerful
Thus Congress passes the laws. The Prcsi-
dent has a check with the veto Congress can
override the veto The President carries out
the laws but Congress must give him the
money to do so. The Supreme Court can
nullify laws passed by Congress and signed
by the President, but the President appoints
judges with the consent Of the Senate
The Senate and House each have III Ct
feet. veto over tho other. Also. those who
shaped tho Government made each branch
subject TO different political preSsures The
President was to be chosen by electors Scna-
tors by State legislatures. Representatives by
the people, the Supreme Court by the PreSi-
dent. with the consent of the Senate.
All of these precautionS-a federal system
separation of powers. checks and balances
were taken to make it difficult for majority
of the people to control the Government and
to place restraint on Government itself.
Thomas jefferson feared strong execu-
tive and strong central government He be-
heyed that the Constitution was federal
compact and that whatsoever the general
Government assumes undeegaed powers, its
thor five md ofn