The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-21
WHAT JEFFERSON WOULD DO.

Public men take innumerable liberties
With Thomas Jefferson and many OF thom
are TO the serious dlscredit of the dead
statesman. The Indianapolis Sentinel,
however, avoids the general rule In tbs icl-
lowing:
We DO not see how anybody who has given
any attention TO the character OF Thomas
JEFFERSON could have n particle OF doubt that
II he were living now he would be deyoting
MS energies to the prevention OF the re-
election OF William Mckinley. There are no
sane mon In the United States given to the
habit of thinking who DO not recognize that
me aVowed and DrncticeG principles OF the
mckinley administration are departures from
traditional American principles and subyer-
slYs OF the established Institutions OF the
country. No one can doubt this because the
advocates OF Mckinloyism admit IT, They
say We nave uutRrown the old system aud
arc starting on n new era which calls for the
abandonment Of the principles that Jefferson
lAborod for The constitution Is "a mere
written document and the declaration OF
independence is "a tissue Of glttering gem
Vhiues' 1t IL matter of necessity that
men who do believe IN the constitution and
iht declaration OF Independence should re-
con from the probable consequences of in
uortlng Mchnleyism and giving 1t new
lease OF life and authority. In this situation
lPere is no question as to what Thomas Jet
tersou would do unless he were false TO every
lulse that actuated him when on earth
But while thia lis true, we think 1t equally
clear that Thomas Jefferson would not In
dorse all OF the remedies that Mr. Altgeld
,nNorses' and we call attention TO this not
because we regard his ideas as of high i'm
puFtance at the present time. but merely to
record dissent from them and suggest what
true Jehersonian democracy 49, There are
o'htr things more important on hand We
imagine that Mr.. jefferson would take the
same course. If he believed his country was
IN uahger he would not waste time dis
cusalng economic problems that are abstract
d nj
personal grievances. He would register dis
sent from proposed measures that could only
serve TO make matters worse, and proceed
to the duty Of meeting the danger to the
country And Mr. Jefferson would dissent
absolutely from anything In the nature of
socialism unless he has modified the views Of
MS lifetime He was an earnest advocate OF
indlviduallsm The cornerstone OF his states
manship was equal rights TO all and special
1 privileges to none He had no use for pa
ternnlism. His stated view was that govern
ment should interfere with the fro dom OF
the individual lust as little as possible.
/ We do not believe with Mr.. AltSeld. for
example, that MIR. Jefferson would have the
people own and operate all necessary mo
nopoles Mr.. Jefferson's idea was that the
government should keep out OF business as
far as uossible~~that It should oonflne ltstlt
To the business OF governing. and do as little
Of that ns possible He did not believe tina,
tho government ought to own and operate
either church or bank ana we see no
reason for saving that hc would have II own
and operate other business institutions. Bur
/ he believed In government control OF banks
/ by regulation and restriction aud 30 he
would now support government control OF
/ necessary monopolies by regulation and re-
! stfiction. with suppression Of all but natural
and unavoidable monopol!es He did not en-
/ terrain tho dolusion that monopolies conld b.
made harmless by encouraging, logallging OF
operating them. And the wisdom OF his poll
! cy may be Judged from the fact that now the
| foremost advocates of legai2atlon and gov
/ eminent operation arc the maguates Of the
| great trusts monopolies and transportation
systems. When Jefferson saw an evil ht
/ fought II and secured it's removal " possible.
but he did not imagine that an evil was re-
moved by merely changing its form. II he
were confronted by the problems OF today
he would probably say that the first ster
was to get rid Of the unnecessary monopolies
than can be- and ought to be. removed. and
that dealing with the others would thcreupou
| become so much smpllned that they could
he easily handled.
This is a forcible presentation OF ;he
JefieTscnien Wow and is entitled to the
preservation and future reference OF every
democrat in the country.