Cord Byrd: “Madison in the Federalist No. 53 states, in part, as follows: No man can be a competent legislator who does not add to…”

“Madison in the Federalist No. 53 states, in part, as follows: No man can be a competent legislator who does not add to an upright intention and a sound judgment a certain degree of knowledge of the subjects on which he is to legislate. A part of this knowledge may be acquired by means of information which lie within the compass of men in private as well as public stations. Another part can only be attained, or at least thoroughly attained, by actual experience in the station which requires the use of it. In the same Federalist paper, Madison writes as follows: A few of the members, as happens in all such assemblies, will possess superior talents; will, by frequent reelections, become members of long standing; will be thoroughly masters of the public business, and perhaps not unwilling to avail themselves of those advantages. The greater the proportion of new members and the less the information of the bulk of the members, the more apt will they be to fall into the snares that may be laid for them. Mr. President, I speak today of a Senator who has demonstrated superior talents, a Senator with 22 years of experience in this body-- Madison, having referred to men of 'superior talents' and also to the advantages of 'experience'--and Bennett Johnston is that man of whom I speak. There is no department of public life in which the test of man's ability is more severe than service in this body.…”