[gusopol3]

"Right at the end of his life, Benjamin Franklin wrote a pamphlet giving advice to Europeans planning to come to America. He said it was a good place for those who wanted to become rich. But, he said, it was above all a haven for the industrious poor, for 'nowhere else are the laboring poor so well fed, well lodged, well clothed and well paid as in the United States of America.' It was a country, he concluded, where a 'general happy mediocrity prevails.' --from Paul Johnson, A History of the American People,p.235.

any question here about the intent of the framers?

[yoe]

None.

I am quite sure they envisioned filling up a country with willing workers knowing full well that out of that base would come the brilliant inventors, writers, teachers, and yes the very successful if not the robber barons they were called, the Framers hoped for talents from many cultures and they were fairly plain spoken about it. AND they expected those chosen to judge the populace to use their duties to give faithful meaning to the words of the lawmakers/constitution. As they were often divided over intent, their final draft did try to cover any and all arguments as the United States Constitution is one magnificent document.