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Show U . f Our Constitution and Fundamental Documents Prize Essay bv Anna Beth Rhees, Pleasant View School 1 Since the birth of man there h ! always been government of come form Certain lines of conduct have been laid down for the individual the elty, the nation yes. even for the families of people.- These rules or laws differ as much today as at any other time In the history of the world. We still find government of the self- lsh order where the laws are for the benefit of a few. Even now there exists practically fell forms of government govern-ment from the crude barbaric up to the wise self-governing systems of rule. Ky following the present government gov-ernment methods of all nations one 1 ob erves a page out of almost every I epoch of history, One finds the savage sav-age with his revolting ideas of family fam-ily ties; Hie nomadic hordes, somewhat some-what like the Israelites of old; the despotism of the Orient, the powerful power-ful yet narrow civic life in Russia with Its insane curb on public speech and the press, and the highest type 1 of self-government In England and j the Fnlted States. I t VDAMF T I, I V The supreme fundamental law of the United States f America by which all laws and powers of the nation il government are established or limited Is the Constitution. Great as it Is, It ( was considered far from perfect at ; the time il was written. The downtrodden down-trodden people of the 13 colonies that struck for independence had been gradually working out tho measures ' of such a document in their daily life Many of them driven from their 1 1 other countries by persecution, cx-, cx-, pe ting to enjoy freedom In America, , found a confjising mass of restrlct- ' Ing laws. In spite of these the people at large fought hard for their democratic demo-cratic principles Their great aim was toward self-government. Incidents like the hiding of the charter In the old o.i l tree m i rk t he spirit of I he time of course, this spirit and these experiences and making town laws I and petty constitutions had naturally Ja great Influence on the milking of! ' our national Constitution now Till BEGAN When tho colonists first began lighting they were not fighting for (loir Independence, only foi the removal re-moval of the English troops, but as they came to realize England's tyranny tyr-anny they began fighting for their freedom. j The colonies then decided they i should state to the world Just why ' they were separating from England. ' so they, in the 'Decla ration of Independence," Inde-pendence," formally renounced their subjection to the English government. This document was adopted and signed July 4', 1770. It gave their 7 grievances and showed to the world what tyranny the English had exercised exer-cised over them, mainly In restricting commerce, and by taxation for the purpose of supporting policies in which the CO'lonles had no voice, and also by maintaining a standing army in America, partly for the protection oi the colonies, hut mainly for the repression re-pression of the democratic attitude. STATE DISPUTES Maryland and Virginia had a dispute dis-pute over the regulation of commerce on the Potomac river. So commissioners commis-sioners from thee two states met to adopt some regulations In regard to the 'use of this river. They then de-! de-! elded to invite all the states to send delegates to a convention at Annapolis Annapo-lis the following year, to regulate the commercial problems of all the states. Only five states were represented, repre-sented, however, and they could do nothing. So they recommended that all the states meet noon to consider the Articles of Confederation under which they had been loosely united for some years, and which they de- M r ir -i- - ttit- I i m -m 1MB -jo elded entirely Inadequate for a strong government, for the Continental Congress Con-gress could not raise money by taxation; taxa-tion; It could declare war. hut could not raise an army; it could not regulate regu-late commerce or do other necessary things. These differences continued to grow up until they gradually led to the dissolution of tho Colonial Union. CENTRAL GOVERNMENT It was therefore decided necessary to create a strong central government govern-ment So all the states, except Rhode Island, appointed their ablest men as delegates to this convention, which met in Philadelphia May 25 1787. V hen the men emerged after nearly four months of deliberation and compromising com-promising the Constitution was far from Oelng what they had hoped it to be. Ltefore some of the states would unite and ratify It they asked that tho constitution be amended. This wa.s done and 10 articles amendments amend-ments to the constitution) were made. These were called the 1 Bill of Rights.' as the guaranteed the rights of the people CONS1 m Tlo ENDURING The Constitution was so well made up that outside of a few changes and additions it has stood during all the years as it was written. The Constitution Consti-tution Is the fundamental and highest law of the land and by its provision our government is divided Into three main branches- Legislative, executive and Judicial. The Legislative has to do with the making of laws for the L'nitcd States It Is divided into two houses, tlu-Senate tlu-Senate and the House of Representatives Representa-tives known Jointly as Congress Two senators are elected from ea h stale by the direct Votes of the people now. Their tony la for six years. Each senator has one vote. The House of Representatives Is a much larger body and the number from each stale g fixed according to its population. These men arc elc led directly by th.-people th.-people and serve two years. The two bouses are largely co-ordinate In tin ir powers, although appropriations can be Introduced only in the lower house while the Senate ratifies treaties and appointments made bv the President PRESTO ST is ill D The head of the executive branch is Lie President of the United States. His term of office if four years and he is elected by the electoral college. The dnii. s ,,f the President arc to enforce en-force tho laws of the land, to suggest needed reforms and to veto or approve ap-prove new enactments. His power to veto nullifies any legislation unless over-ruled by a two-thirds vote in both houses. The president js eom-rnander-ln-ohlef of the naval and land forces. Ho selects his Cabinet as specified in the Constitution. These direct the several business departments depart-ments of the government They are also frequent advisors of the President. Presi-dent. JUDIC1 M DEP B 3 MINI Tip,- Judicial department consists of the supreme court of the United States and other auxiliary courts. These courts determine the construction con-struction to be placed on all laws framed by the federal congress and laws of the city and state which may conflict with the Constitution or laws under it. The district, circuit and appellate courts take up certain phases of tho Judicial work. It is so arranged that the powers and functions of our government arc lnter-dependent Th.- President needs Congress to p.iss ben. 1 1. i.u ,v the government wiu progress Congress Con-gress needs the approval of the executive execu-tive to make Its laws effective, and th n the judiciary determines the validity va-lidity of the laws enacted, and if they are not right, it may declare the laws unconstitutional. One should not think that our gov-1 I eminent is so near perfect that It! ingot in-got be Improved, but. nevertheless ft hna served many times as a worths example ror those wi... are struggling tor bettei things This government ...otccs live liberty and prop' r, and abroad; It give. ft, a, , ,. ',, s.nal 1 berty we need and can use. XSjLi "d3 ?r il of law and r.uU? th,nk 11 co"-ld be considered consid-ered the best government on ear h made so by the wise provisions of w '; tundamental documents.' |