The herald., 1895-08-24
OUR LIBERTY

In these fin de steele Gays when each is
trying to raise standard and make laws
unto himself, it is we'll to pause for a
moment and in the language of the day
figure out "where we are at" In the
efforts for self-aggrandizement, we are
apt to forget the existence of, much more
the rights, OF others. Man IN his siren.
uous efforts to make unto himself an
enduring monument. either of fame or
financial worth. is apt to depart from
JeffersonIan principles. The crime of 20
day is 'man's inhumanity to man." We
have passed the age of physical strength,
and the most successful man is now the
one who controls and directs the
greatest amount of nerve force. The en-
ployer too often regards his employee as
machine which when incapacitated for
duty is to be replaced by the most i'm
proved III the marKet-a more skillful
laporer. These conditions are not pleas
ant to dwell upon, and the causes which
have led up to them puzzle the most
learned student of political economy.
If we could spare a few moments to
consider these things, we can get at the
root of matters by careful review OF
Jefferson. There is no such thing in
civilized countries as liberty in the sense
OF a man being free to 40 as he wills.
Society consists of placing men under re-
straint and controllin; them by laws
which compel each to respect the rights
of others. However, there is such a
thing as over-restraint. and which causes
each to cnaff under the restrictions. Our
laws in many instances tend to stimulate
men to violate them simply because the
law infringes upon what man considers
his own personal rg hts.
OF these things Thomas Jefferson has
said:
Laws abridging the natural rights of
citizens should be restrained by rigorous
constructions within their narrowest
limits
The legitimate powers of government
extend to such acts only as are in
jIrlous to Others"
1T would be a dangerous delusion
were confidence In the men of our
choice TO silence our fears for the safety
of our rights"
Il am not a friend to very energetic
government. 1t is always oppressive. 1t
places the governors indeed more at their
ease at the expense of the people"
The natural progress OF things is for
liberty. to yield and government 10 gain
ground"
Governments are republican only in
proportion as they embody the will of
their people and execute it,"
''Our Legislators are not efficiently ap-
prlsed of the rightfui limits of their pow
er-that their true off ce is to declare and
enforce only our natural rights and duties
and to take none of them from us. No
man has natural right to commit ag-
gression on the equal rights of another,
and this is all from which the laws ought
to restrain him. Every man is under
the natural duty of contributing to the
necessities of the society. ana this is all
the laws should enforce on him. When
the laws have declared and enforced all
this they have fulfilled their functions,
and the idea is quite unfounded that on
entering into society we give up any nat
ural right. The trial of every law by
one of these texts would lessen much the
abors of our legislators and tighten
equally our municipal codes"
Nothing is unchanged BILE but the in
herent and inalienabe rights of man."
THE equal rights OF man and the har-
plness of every individual arenow acknowl-
edgeo to be the only Legitimate objects of
government