The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-04-13
THAT DOLLAR DINNER.
The Simplicity is Commended.
WE NEED SIMPLICITY AS A
NATION.
BY G. GRosyENoR DAVE.
Written for The Commonwealth.

The gain OF slmpllclty.-ln lew
days will have been eaten that dollar
dinner in New York of which there
has been so much mention in the pa
pers. Many another dinner that has
cost as little and even very much less
has been eaten before this. Then why
80 much comment and even excite
ment about this one?
~
In the first place, because that
which at the outset was to be a purely
partisan celebration in honor of Thos.
Jefferson has become so broadened
in its scope that it can no longer be
called either Democratic or Repub-
llcan, but both /; for to it will be gath
cred men of all the political stripes
and manifold labels that our very
active and splendid nation can boast.
1t is highly proper that we should ali,
when considering our great dead, drop
as far as possible our partisan bias and
praise man for what he attempted
and what he did, even though we are
unable to agree with him in all that
he either did or attempted. The
high plane in such a matter is for us
to look rather to a mans motive and
his courage than to find ourselves
agreeing with him in everything.
We all stand in need of that sort of
charity sooner or later, if we are at all
public in our characters.
~
Yet after all the chief noteworth-
mess of the occasion is not to be
found in the unanimous praise of JET
ferson, on the part of men OF widely
divergent views. The almost historic
character of the dinner is that it is
intended as a protest against
the vulgar display of wealth and of the
un-American exclusiveness that ac-
companies it. This is what has
united such diversified elements In
such diversified community as New
York.
The original Jeffersonian dinner
was one that was to cost the public
ten dollars per plate. Such a price is
not an extraordinary one in New
York, for that city is accustomed to a
great deal of display in such matters.
But when great, simple man-whose
very uttefances In favor of the rights
of the oppressed are worked into the
warp and woof of our national life
was to be honored by such Symbarlte
feast, and in such a manner that the
great common people would have no
chance to attend, then there first arose
a protest, then came the suggestion
of another simpler dinner then the
rush of men OF all parties to take
part. Different voices on different
sides of the political arena will be
heard and differences of opinions will
doubtless exist, but one chief point
will haye been made in the sight and
hearing of the nation-that we must
move back to simpler ideals of life and
OF success if we would wish by future
historians to be Judged worthy of
ranking with the unselfish ones who
haye served us and gone to rest.
~
Be he Democrat or Republican,
care not which or neither-the right
thinking man, who can sec further
than the tip of his nose and down
deeper than the surface of things, must
be alarmed at the tendency which ex-
lists to measure political success by the
length OF the pocketbook that has re-
suited from "the service of the coun-
try" So far has this tendency spread
that it is considered matter worthy
of comment should public man
leave his public career poor man.
Honest men are by no means SO rare
as we in our wrath are sometimes
tempted to declare, but nevertheless a
strong tendency exists to think that a
man has neglected his opportunities
if he continues to regard public office
as public duty instead of a private
"snap." Both parties have touch oil
the same brush, therefore, it is more
than fitting that the protest should
come from both.
The thing that spoils the life and
effort of 80 many of us is that we
start out with wrong standards, and
then subsequently have to unlearn
them before we can begin to make oi
life all that it ought to be. We must
therefore, welcome this great Object
lesson, so soon to be given to tha
plastic minds of our young mon. /
will show them that there are thing
0AsToz zEA.