The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

1972 FREEING THE INDIVIDUAL 559pointing out that large estateswere sometimes broken up beforethey were offered for sale. Thisdid sometimes·happen, but it doesnot follow that it was done withany motive of equalizing holdings.Small parcels attract more biddersthan large ones; hence, the priceattained for large estates waslikely to be increased by dividingthem up. Moreover, large estateswere sometimes formed or addedto by buying several parcels. 17Limitations on GovernmentThere were some general changesin governments during this period,changes in degree from whatthey had been under British rule.The main tendency was to makethe state governments more dependentupon the popular will thanthey had been during the colonialperiod. The new state constitutionsrequired that all state officerseither be chosen by the electorateor appointed by those whohad.The main impetus behind makinggovernments depend moreclosely on the electorate was a profoundfear of government. Thisdistrust of government was mostclearly shown in the distrust ofgovernors and courts, those partsof the government that had notbeen popularly chosen during thecolonial period. The colonistsfeared the legislatures, too, or sothe limitations on them would indicate,but out of their colonialexperience, they feared them lessthan the other branches. In pointof fact, Americans relied ratherheavily on a narrow and provincialcolonial experience in makingtheir first constitutions. Probably,Massachusetts and New Yorkshould be excepted from thesestrictures.The office of governor - or whateverthe executive might be called,for some states abandoned brieflythat colonial title - was strippedof much of the power and most ofthe independence enjoyed by colonialchief executives. Colonialgovernors had usually possessedan absolute veto over legislation.The new executives were strippedof the veto power in all but two ofthe states - Massachusetts andNew York -, and in these the powerwas somewhat weakened. In allthe states but New York the legislaturesor the constitutions governedthe assembling and dispersalof the legislative branch. Ineight of the states, the chief executivewas elected by the legislature,and he was made, thereby,greatly dependent upon it. Histenure of office was usually quitebrief. In nine states, it was onlytwelve months, and nowhere wasit for a longer period than threeyears. To prevent the growth ofpersonal power in the hands of