Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-14
TEACHINGS OF JEFFERSON
Absolute Acquiescence in De-
ciSionS of the Majority"
HIS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATED
By Democrats From All Over the United States,
Who Assembled at Monticello, His
0ldHome.

Charlottesville. Va, April 13-Under
the auspices of the National Association
of Democratic clubssthe 153d anniversa-
ry of the birth o.. Thomas Jefferson,
founder of the democratic party, was
celebrated today at Monticello, where
the author of the declaration of indie
pendence lived and died. Out on the
tower in front of the historic man.
sion were gathered a concourse of the
yeomanry of Abemarle county, Virginia,
many of them men whose grandfathers
had followed the political fortunes OF
Jefferson. Minglng with them were
democrats who had come from states as
far south as Florida and Texas and as
far north as Massachusetts. At IL
O'Clock noon a special train from WASH
ington arrived, bringing a distinguished
party of national democrats. Among
these were: Vice President Stevenson,
Postmaster General Wilson, Attorney
General Harmon, Secretary Of the Navy
Herbert, Senators Jones of Arkansas,
Faulkner of West Virginia, Pasco of
Florida, George of Mississippi, Martin of
Kansas. Mitchell of Wisconsin, White of
California Roach of North Dakota, Rep
resentatives Sulzer of New York, Wash
ington Of Tennessee, Clardy of Kentucky,
Livingston of Georgia, Swanson of Vir-
ginia, Tucker of Virginia, Pendleton of
Texas, Tyler of Virginia, Patterson of
son of Georgia., Turner of Georgia, Nc
CURE Of California. A number of local
democrats of prominence from Washing
ton were also of the party besides Ex-
Governor Russell of Massachusetts, Sem
ator Daniel of Virginia and Hon. Chaun-
cey e. Black of Pennsylvania, orator of
the occasion, and all closely identified
with the National Association of Demo-
cratic clubs. Lawrence Gardner, secre-
tary of the organization. was in charge
of the party, among whom were many
ladies. The guests were driven to Mon
ticello where Vice President Stevenson,
the senator's and representatives and Ia
dies of their party were entertained at
luncheon by Mr.. Jefferson Levy, de-
scendant of the great democrat and the
present owner of the mesne and mansion.
The formal proceedings began by an
address by Hon. Chauncey F. Black,
whose enunciation of the sentiment of
Jefferson, that the primary principle of
democracy was absolute acquiescenoe
in the decisions of the majority" was
heartily applauded.
Ex-Governor Russell of Massachusetts,
was received by the crowd with ringing
cheers. He spoke as though accustomed
to open air speaking, and his sonorous
voice could be heard to the utmost con-
fines of the assembly. His many patriot
ic illusions and points were rapturously
applauded.
When Senator Daniel of Virginia arose
to speak his popularity in his native state
was made plainly apparent by the enthu-
siasm with which he was received. He
pictured to his audience, in eloquent PEE
RODS, the prominent traits of character
of Virginia'S gift to the national democ-
racy-Thomas Jefferson. After his eulo-
gy of Jefferson had been exhausted Sena-
tor Daniel referred to the speech of Gov
ernor Russell, and said that he admired
that address so much that he dsliked to
lit INa
excused if he failed to see anything In
Jefferson's eachings which summoned us
to abandon the bimetallic money system
which Jefferson himself helped to estab-
lish. He concurred with Governor Rus
sell that Jefferson would never have
made an issue between Colorado and
Wall street, or between a debtor and
creditor class, or upon any geographical
division; but he asserted that it was the
republican party-and neither Jefferson
nor the party of Jeffeson-that did that
very thing in 1873, in stripping silver of
its equal coinage right with gold; that it
was Wall street and Lombard street that
were the aggressors-not Colorado nor
the west and not the debtor class. But"
said the senator in closing this part of
his speech, Il am not going to stay at
odds with our distinguished friend at
the grave of Jefferson. There was one
thing that Jefferson said about money
which we will concur in, and that Is that
warm thought Is worth more than mon
ey,' and, giving him the warm thoughts
that one. upon his native heath should
feel for an honored guest, 1 would VEN
ture to say to him, as Falstaff said to
Prince Henry, No more of that Hal,
and thou lowest me- Indeed, We will
have here today the free coinage of warm
thoughts on the double standard of Mas
sachusetts and Virginia, and am will
ing TO amplify the code of our democratic
comrade Tim Campbell of New York,
and say, for today at least, Neither mon
ey nor the constitution ought to come
between friends E"