I read the letter to the editor sent in by Ted Elliott (“Why so scared about majority rule?,” Feb. 4). He referenced the U.S. Constitution and how southern slaves were considered three-fifths of a person prior to the American Civil War. I’ve heard this argument many times. Liberals love to use this as a political weapon.

You’re doing your readers a disservice by publishing his letter without some context in history. What he said is factual enough. Slaves were considered three-fifths of a person. The reason it was done is because the northern states insisted on it when the country was founded because they feared the southern states would gain power in congress due to the fact that congressional seats are awarded by population. It was actually the southern states who wanted slaves counted as whole persons. The only way the north would ratify the Constitution is by counting them as less than a person. Our Founding Fathers were trying to create a country so they agreed to compromise.

 

John Hopkins

Manchester

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