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The Commoner.
VOLUME 10, NUMBER It
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solves. Call them, thoreforo, liberals and ser
vilus, Jacobins and ultras, whlgs and torles, re
publicans and federalists, aristocrats and demo
crats, or by whatever namo you please, they
aro tho samo parties still, and pursuo the same
object. Tho last appollatlon of aristocrats and
democrats Is tho true one expressing tho essenco
of all."
Jofforson not only announced groat funda
mental principles, but ho applied them to so
many difforent questions that he can bo read
as an authority on all questions of today. Ho
was opposed to Imperialism and believed in self
govornmont; ho was for a republic composed
of equal and self-governing states and entirely
opposed to tho colonial idea.
Ho was opposed to a largo army and believed
that a government was stronger when resting
upon tho love of tho peoplo than when tolerated
only bocauso of fear.
Ho waH so opposed to tho principle of monop
oly that ho only excopted copyrights and pat
ents. Iloro is tho amendment which ho suggest
ed to tho constitution: "Monopolies may bo
allowed to persons for their own productions in
lltoraturo, and their own Inventions in tho arts,
for a term not exceeding years, but for
no longer term, and for no other purpose." At
anothor timo ho suggested fourteen years as
tho limit for patents.
His hostility to monopoly was exemplified in
1787, in a communication to John Jay, in which
ho said: "A company had silently and by unfair
moans obtained a monopoly for tho making and
soiling of spermaceti candles (in Franco). As
soon as wo (Lafayetto assisted him) discovered
it wo solicited its suppression which is effected
by a clauso In tho Arret."
IIo denounced as a fatal fallacy tho doctrine
that a national debt is a blessing.
IIo wns tho relentless enemy of banks of issue.
At one timo ho declared that banks of issue were
moro dangerous than standing armies. At an
othor timo ho said: "I hopo wo shall crush in
Its birth tho aristocracy of our monied corpora
tions, which daro already to challenge our gov
ornmont to a trial of strength, and bid doflanco
to tho laws of our country."
IIo warned his countrymon against tho dangors
of an appointive judiciary holding ofTlco for life.
Of tho freedom of speech he said: "Tho
llborty of speaking and writing guards our other
Hborties."
On tho freedom of tho press ho wrote: "Our
llborty depends on tho freedom of tho press and
that can not bo limited without being lost."
IIo was tho author of tho statute of Virginia
guaranteeing religious liberty and was also tho
father of tho University of Virginia. Ho favored
a froo school system which would bring to every
child an opportunity to secure an educatipn.
Ho was an advocate of tho jury system; and
ho arguod In favor of freeing the slaves three
quarters of a century before Lincoln issued his
emancipation proclamation.
His writings fill many volumes and cover al
most ovory conceivable subject, but through all
that ho said there runs tho evidence of a great
heart as well as a great intellect.
ABOUT CONSTITUTIONS
In tho light of somo romarks made recently
away down in Egypt land and upon the subject
of constitutions and government, somo of the
things Mr. Jefferson said will be of special in
terest. In his first inaugural address ho said: "Some
times it is said that man can not be trusted with
tho government of himself. Can ho then ho
trusted with the governing of others? Or have
wo found angels in tho form of kings to govern
him? Let history answer this question "
In 1803 Mr. Jofforson said: "Our peculiar
security is in tho possession of a written con
stitution. Lot us not make it a blank paner bv
construction." k
In 1802 ho wrote: "Though written consti
tutions may bo violated in moments of passion
or delusion, yet they furnish a text to which
those who aro watchful may again rally and
recall the people. They fix, too, for tho people
tho principles of their political creed "
At another timo ho described our constitution
as "tho ark of our safety, and grand palladium
of our peaco and happiness." m
It will bo remembered that the federal con
stitution was opposed by some because it did
not contain a bill of rights, and the first ten
amendments- were immediately adopted to rem
edy this defect and provido additional guarantees
to life, liberty and property. Jefferson was a
firm believer in the doctrine which led to the
adoption of tho bill of rights. In a letter writ
ten in 1789 he said: "i disapproveli fiom tho
first moment tho want of a bill of rights (in
the constitution) to guard liberty against tho
legislative as well as tho executive branches of
the government; that Is to say, to secure free
dom in religion, freedom of tho press, freedom
from monopolies, freedom from unlawful im
prisonment, freedom from a permanent mili
tary, and a trial by jury in all cases determin
able by tho laws of the land."
In a letter to James Madison, written in 1787,
Jefferson said: "A bill of rights is what the
people are entitled to against every government
on earth, general or particular; and what no
just government should refuse, or rest on in
ferences." At another time he defined his position as
follows: "By a declaration of rights I mean
ono which shall stipulate freedom of religion,
freedom of the press, freedom- Qf commerce
against monopolies, trial by juries in all cases,
no suspensions of the habeas corpus, no stand
ing armies. These are fetters against doing evil
which no honest government should decline."
Jefferson was a believer in popular govern
ment, but he also believed In tho inalienable
rights of individuals rights which the govern
ment does not give and ought not to take away
rights which can not be safely intrusted to
the keeping of any legislative body.
LAWYER AND EDITOR
Among tho weekly newspapers on The Com
moner's exchange list is the Richland Democrat,
published at Rayville, La. The editor is Mr.
T. H. McGregor, a lawyer of that county. At
tention is called to tho paper for two reasons:
First, because it stands for tariff reduction. It
presents a democratic protest against the pro
tectionist doctrine that stealing is defensible if
a part of the plunder comes into the district.
Editor McGregor is not caught by the fallacies
of protection. Ho knows that the benefits of
the system go to the few while its burdens fall
on tho many. They have somo saw mills in his
section but he knows that but a small percentage
of tho people share in the profits collected under
tho tax on lumber.
But there is another reason for calling at
tention to the Richland Democrat: The editor
is a lawyer. He finds that he can take time
enough from his profession to prepare the neces
sary editorial matter and his legal training helps
him to analyze republican arguments and ex
poso their sophistry.
We need more democratic weeklies; we ought
to have at least one in every county in the na
tion. If there is only one democratic paper in
any county and it is tinctured" with protection or
stands in with the special interests a new demo
cratic paper ought to be established. A lawyer
is a very proper person to make the start. The
editorials will give vent to his enthusiasm and
need not interfere with his practice. We need
moro lawyer-editors; may their tribe increase!
CONGRATULATIONS
The Commoner congratulates President Taft
upon the fact that the tariff war with Canada has
been averted. Whenever it is announced that
tariff reform in any particular has been ob
tained even through the mild method of a re
publican reciprocity agreement, men of all
parties congratulate themselves and the govern
ment. Why may not the republican party give
tho people genuine relief on the tariff iniquity'
Why wait until after another presidential
election?
Thero never was a time when tariff reform
could be more easily entered upon, for the man
ufacturers by selling abroad cheaper than at
home, as many of them do, have not only shown
their ingratitude toward those who built the
tariff wall for them but they have demonstrated
their ability to sell in competition with the
world. The high tariff has long been a burden
to the consumers in the United States and it
is growing more and more a menace to our for
eign commerce because it arouses resentment
and provokes retaliation. HUl
UNTIMELY
At tho very moment when Senator Daniel of
Virginia was making his most gallant fight tor
life and the members of his family were fnith
fully cultivating high hope for his cZery his
newspaper dispatch was printed generallv
throughout the United States: generally
"Friends of Thomas Fortune Ryan th t-
tion financier, declared today that ?n' ill JS0"
bility he will bo put forward as a cand inPf?5a"
the United States oenatorBhimVlrBtato To
succeed Senator John W. Danipl in rl ?' .
of the latter death. BSSh
ill at Daytona, Florida. Mr. Ryan was born in
Nelson county, Virginia, and owns a magnificent
estate there, Oak Ridge. His only pub.lic posi
tion of prominence in politics was that of dele
gate from Virginia to the democratic national
convention in 1904."
It is bad enough for a man who has devoted
his life to the building of private monopolies
and who can have no sympathy with popular
government as Jefferson understood it, to as
pire to a Virginia senatorship. But something
more than a' mild protest is due when the cam
paign in behalf of such a man is instituted be
fore a vacancy has taken place. All Virginia is
praying for the recovery of the excellent gentle
man who serves the Old Dominion in the United
States senate.
God grant that Virginia's pray.er may be answered!
COST OF LIVING
New York World: Bradstreet's has compiled
two tables showing that the cost of living on
January 1 of this year was higher than ever
in the history of the country even higher than
on January 1, 1907, when the previous high
mark was reached preceding the panic which
came a few months later.
In its lists the commercial agency has 'taken
ninety-six articles which enter into direct, daily
consumption by the people, and have made "in
dex numbers" by taking a pound of each one
of these commodities. The index numbers are
based on wholesale prices per pound, averaged
over a wide area of markets. The index num
ber of tho first day of this year was $9.2310.
This means that a man buying at wholesale one
pound each of the ninety-six commodities would
have to pay $9.2310.
Following is a table showing the cost of these
articles since January 1, 1892:
High January 1, 1892 $8.1382
Low July 1, 1896 5.7019
Hih February 1, 1900 8.2307i
Low June 1, 1901 7.4181
HiSk December 1, 1902 8.1413'
LT0W- July 1, 1904 7.6318
High March 1, 1907 9.J.293.
Lw June 1, 1908 7.7227.
HiSh January 1, 1910 9.2310
The ninety-six articles are tabulated into thir
teen groups for purposes of comparison. These
general groups are breadstuffs, live stock, pro
v sions, fruits, hides and leather, textiles, met
als, coal and coke, oils, naval stores, building
materials, chemicals and drugs and miscellan
eous. The first seven of these are more directly
concerned in actual living and the following
table is compiled to show the Increase in cost
in tne last fourteen years:
Julyl
1896
Breadstuffs $0.0524-
Live stock 0.1855
Provisions 1.3619
Hides and leather.. 0.8250
Textiles 1.5799
Coal and coke 0.0048
0ils 0.2082
Totals $4.2177 $6.8033
March 1 Jan.l,
1907 1910
$0.0817 $0.10'50
0.3315 0.4010
2.1049 2.3577,
1.1975 1.2850
2.7369 2.7333
0.0080 0.0069
0.3428 0.3728
$7.2617,
ALL BOSTON STIRRED
says? ttl rf?B fdIs,Pat om Boston
Simp 2?t? S i? o Bston s favorite and noted
ediblebaked beans has increased more than
33 1-3 per cent during the past two years and
caused a decrease in the consumption of nine
Pce?t. Two years aS beans retailed at seveS
and eight cents per quart, while toeTnow cm"
ten and eleven cents. Boston's bean bill in
1909 waB nearly $5 000 nnn o i -
about $i,700,000y over tie pr'evlSus yeT?
Withstanding the decrease ithlamount us?d -No
wonder Massachusetts is stirred Th ,L'
SKIS'"1 P,arty has trifled with MawachuBett?
affections for many years Thnt nf , vts "
ahonld have known St there L T fmWln
things and that the Massachusetts "SnltS
0
The American Homestead, a monthlv
farm journal of national scope. Tin be
sent to all Commoner BubseribeVs win,
ut, add itional cost, who renew -their sut
scriptions during the month of : AmU
Take advantage of this offer at once and
send in your renewal. nd
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