From the article...
Madison further imagined where Congress might stretch the General Welfare clause if it were misinterpreted to be open-ended:
“If Congress can apply money indefinitely to the general welfare, and are the sole and supreme judges of the general welfare, they may take the care of religion into their own hands; they may establish teachers in every State, county, and parish, and pay them out of the public Treasury; they may take into their own hands the education of children, establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may undertake the regulation of all roads other than post-roads.”
“In short, everything, from the highest object of State legislation, down to the most minute object of police, would be thrown under the power of Congress; for every object I have mentioned would admit the application of money, and might be called, if Congress pleased, provisions for the general welfare.”
[ Madison further imagined where Congress might stretch the General Welfare clause if it were misinterpreted to be open-ended:
“If Congress can apply money indefinitely to the general welfare, and are the sole and supreme judges of the general welfare, they may take the care of religion into their own hands; they may establish teachers in every State, county, and parish, and pay them out of the public Treasury; they may take into their own hands the education of children, establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may undertake the regulation of all roads other than post-roads.”
“In short, everything, from the highest object of State legislation, down to the most minute object of police, would be thrown under the power of Congress; for every object I have mentioned would admit the application of money, and might be called, if Congress pleased, provisions for the general welfare.” ]
HO LEE CHIT!!!
Are we sure he wasn’t a Time Traveler?
The same BS was created in the judiciary when Justice William O Douglas declared the Constitution and Bill of Rights had “Penumbras and Eminations” - meaning, “it has whatever we want to twist it into.”