By William Marvel

There is a story that a citizen accosted Benjamin Franklin as he left the Constitutional Convention and asked him, “What have you given us?” Franklin reputedly answered, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Whether the tale is true matters little. Even if apocryphal, it accurately reflects the Founding Fathers’ fear that their replica of the Roman Republic would disintegrate into authoritarianism, precisely as its model had.

In our Congress, the founders imitated the Roman Assembly, composed of direct representatives of the people, and the Roman Senate, which represented wealthy aristocrats. Although the real power lay with the Assembly, apathy among the common voters eventually weakened it and gave the Senate domination. Tiberius Gracchus urged the people to reclaim control, reminding them that their class had fought the wars that gave Rome its wealth; and he proposed legislation similar to our own Homestead Act. He was, of course, assassinated, as was his brother Gaius, who attempted similar reforms a decade later..........

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