Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-05-19
THE GOVERNMENT OF DUB FATHERS.


That all men are created equal; that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalien-
able rights; that among these are life, liberty
and the pursuit Of happiness. That to secure
these rights. governments are instituted
among men. deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed; that whenever
any form of government becomes destructive
of these ends, IT is the right of the people to
alter or abolish it.-DECLARATION OF INDIE
PENDENCE.
This was the sentiment of our fore
fathers, so ably and forcibly written by
Thomas Jefferson. We revere the
memory of the signers of the Declare
ton of Independence because we know
that without it this country would new
er have been released from British
| thralldom. At our Fourth OF July cele
bratlOns we feel:ngly pay tribute to the
sacred dust of our revolutionary faith
erS because the sacrifice they made
for their country and posterity is indel-
| IDLY written on our memory. Upon
these annually recurring patriotic occa-
sions we meet In every city, town, viii
lage and grove, not only to celebrate
|
Declaration of Independence which is
invariably read at the opening of the
exercises. To the thoughtful man this
reading cannot fail to be heard with
feeling of sorrow and regret. We have
simply quoted above, a small paragraph
of that weighty and broad document,
but in it is contained some Of the pri-
meval principles of free government.
And we repeat that the thinking
man is constrained to bury himself in
serious thought whenever and wherev-
he reads, or hears read, the Declaration
of Independence. He can not avoid re-
flecting upon the conditions of today in
contradistinction with those SO earn
ros of The Revolution. If Washington,
Adams, jefferson, Henry and others
who were leaders in laying the founda-
ton of this Republic, could return to
earth today they would be dismayed to
find the same conditions existing now
for which their countrymen died to
abolish. They would find their below
ed country, though vastly improved in
many respects, IS much nearer the con-
troll of the British monarchy than it
was when they left it free and indie
pendent nation.
How true and significant is the
clause, "all men are created equal" and
; how lamentably absent is that princi
pie in our government of today. When
this truism was written, the author GER
that century hence would find the
masses of the American people in rags
begging and beseeching the American
congress to give to them equal consid
Grafton that it gives to the money bar
ons of Europe. Their love Of country
and hope for postelity was too great tt
even entertain the idea that one hun
bred gears would find American states
manship so far degenerated as to re
ceive aristOcratic guests from abroad II
the most aristocratic manner, and gram
, them every demand they may make
p while the American toiler who comes
to the national capital, victim of en-
: forced idleneSS made so by Yenal ant
corrupt legislation, to beg and beseecl
congress for his rights, is thrown int
5 a felon's cell for treading on the sacred
: grass at Washington. Many equal.
outrageous instances could be recalled
but this particular one which is still
fresh in our memories will suffice t
show how the principle Of human
equality is treated by modern statesmen
But, happily, the founders of our ma
: ton provided the governmental struct
, ure with ample safeguards. Notic
the closing clause of the quotation; at
| ter prescribing the duty of government
, 1t says: whenever any form of gov
eminent becomes destructive of thes
ends, it is the RIGH HI of the people t
ALTER or ABOLISH IT." Men O
today have been condemned as anarch
[ lists for words far less severe than thos
s here employed, but they were as quick
ly vindlcated by referring to this elaboI
b.. ate paragraph. The necessity of til
day Is that the people alter the "for1
2 of government" 1t is their right an
q their duty and if they remain inactiv
when they see their country, themselye
: and future generations rapidly bein
+ absorbed by the most tyrannical powe
in history--the power that makes on,
y man the absolute owner of another
f they are prOstituting the principles fC
which our ancestors fought, bled an
died; they are committing an unpal
s donable crime against themselves, an
they are burdening their posterity wit
a bondage which all time, blood an
e agony cannot overcome.
4 He who will ponder over these cond
y tions and use his best efforts to remed
them, is the patriot; but he who wi
consent to be used as tool by one {
!. more designing, selfish politicians
Liberty's most dangerous foe.
! | SPEAKING of the OlUtOnratic hoy