The public services of Gouverneur Morris to 1787 . giving tiie vote to non-property hold-ers would threaten the country with an aristocracy in that theywould sell their votes to tlie rich. ihis train of r oasoning ranback to th(3 old Iew York manors wlicre the manor holder commandedall the votes on his land. l.]adison supported , likewisethin: ing the freeholders the safest guardians of our rights andfearing the dominion of the rich over the poor. ihe majority ofthe convention, however, were afraid to excite the jealousy of the?neoT)le by depriving tnem of votes for federal offices vhp
The public services of Gouverneur Morris to 1787 . giving tiie vote to non-property hold-ers would threaten the country with an aristocracy in that theywould sell their votes to tlie rich. ihis train of r oasoning ranback to th(3 old Iew York manors wlicre the manor holder commandedall the votes on his land. l.]adison supported , likewisethin: ing the freeholders the safest guardians of our rights andfearing the dominion of the rich over the poor. ihe majority ofthe convention, however, were afraid to excite the jealousy of the?neoT)le by depriving tnem of votes for federal offices vhpn theymight vote in the states, and the motion for freehold suffrage waslost (2). The method of ratification was a question v>/hich caranup several times during the coirrse of the convent!rn, and on whichsoFie very ciivprse views were expressed. Cn July 25 the clause ofthe Virginia plan which required ratification by state conventionswas reported to the convention. 35]llsworth and .atterson urged that (1) Farrand II, 201. (2) Ibid, II, 7b ratification be by the State le^p-slatures instead. MorrisI pointed out that the convention was not proceeding on the basis of: the Confedercntion, but v;as in fact not le2:al under the ConfederationRatification by the State legislatures ^-ould require unanimous con-sent, otherv/ise the courts would hold the proposed Constitutionvoid as unconstitutional; while if the Constitution was referreddirectly to the people, the federal compact could be altered by amajority of them. -^n pursuance of such ideas moved thatthe Constitution be referred to one general convention chosen by thepeople; however, this motion was not seconded (1), but it was decid-ed to refer tne Constitution to State conventions. V/hen the section came up again on August 30 ina report of the Committee of .detail, Morris moved that the Statelegislatures bo left free to select their own modes of ratification,his idea being to facilitate the adoption of the plan(2)
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