Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-07-07
EQUALITY IS REASON, RIGHT AND
JUSTICE.

All talk about equality" is nonsense.
Men are not equal. God did not crea tie
them equal. The law can give
them equal rights under the govern
ment, but there 1t ends.-Washingio
Post.
The smaller the person. morally and
mentally. the more emphatically and
flercely does he or she deny and repu-
date equality and the greater the nom
sense. in quality and quantity he or
she utters about it. Yet nothing can
more fully confirm this equality than
the antagonism of just such persons as
deny 1t most haughtily and furiously.
Their opposition and the manner of it
demonstrates the absolute necessity of
st. and this necessity proves that it not
only does exist, but must inevitably
exist, even for them who would reject 1t
bitterly If they could.
All men are created equal. says our
Declaration of Independence. or words
TO that effect. How, i'll what? The con-
text explains that, and it is further de-
fined by the subject in connec-
ton with which the declaration is
made. Everybody knows and need not
be told that not even any two persons
are equal in n great many things-as in
height. weight. strength, and n thou
sand other details; and the statesmen,
philosophers, wlseacres and other
smart Alexis" who think they have
made a great discovery and caught
Thomas jefferson and other Fathers of
the Republic mapping. are themselves
not yet awake and expose their own ig-
norance.
Now note the proposition as original
~ made: 1t was in a declaration for n
separate and Independent government
which. rs our Fathers said. "a decent
respect to the opinions of mankind re-
luires that they should declare the
causes that impcl them to the scpara-
ton" They then proceed; yet mark
how confident they We're: I've hold
these truths to be sclf-evident" Note.
'self-ev.dent: that all men are created
equal; that they are endowed by their
Creator" (all and everyone equally)
with certain unalienable rights; that
among these" mot alD. ARE life. liber-
y
monopoly for any, but equally for all
and everyone). that TO secure these
rights. governments are instituted
among men. deriving their just powers
from the consent OF the governed"
Where is the error? Wisdom. justice
and truth are all there, and never more
fully and accurately combined and cx-
pressed. If we were forming n govern
ment now, how could and should we do
1t? BY fpaud? You would hardly adj
init that. or agree to 1t. BY force? You
don't want TO fight You would see Mt
once that you should not be robbed nor
cheated in government any more than
1n anything else; and that selfish self
protection would compel you in reason
md justice to agree that no man should
be robbed (by force). or cheated (by
fraud), but that all should be done fair
~, decently and in order. by the CON
sent OF the governed or of all
TO be governed. or by the next
best and feasible means, the will Of the
majority, all freely declaring their pref
erence by an equal vote. or competition,
for form. men and measures.
There Is the demonstration and in 1t
equality, liberty. competition. justice.
truth and right preside, under God. mo-
rality and reason and logic. And mark
how self-evident it all is. as our Faith
ers declared on the Fourth of July, 30
dong ago:-unless indeed. we are scoun-