Page:Federalist, Dawson edition, 1863.djvu/571

 each State may choose its own time of election, it is possible there may be, at least, as many different periods as there are months in the year. The times of election in the several States, as they are now established for local purposes, vary between extremes as wide as March and November. The consequence of this diversity would be, that there could never happen a total dissolution or renovation of the body at one time. If an improper spirit of any kind should happen to prevail in it, that spirit would be apt to infuse itself into the new members, as they come forward in succession. The mass would be likely to remain nearly the same; assimilating constantly to itself its gradual accretions. There is a contagion in example, which few men have sufficient force of mind to resist. I am inclined to think, that treble the duration in office, with the condition of a total dissolution of the body at the same time, might be less formidable to liberty than one third of that duration subject to gradual and successive alterations.

Uniformity in the time of elections seems not less requisite for executing the idea of a regular rotation in the Senate, and for conveniently assembling the Legislature at a stated period in each year.

It may be asked, Why then could not a time have been fixed in the Constitution? As the most zealous adversaries of the plan of the Convention in this State, are, in general, not less zealous admirers of the Constitution of the State, the question may be retorted, and it may be asked, Why was not a time for the like purpose fixed in the Constitution of this State? No better answer can be given than that it was a matter which might safely be intrusted to Legislative discretion; and that if a time had been appointed, it might, upon experiment, have been found less convenient than some other time. The same answer may be given to the question put on the other side. And it may be added