The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-04-16
JEFFERS9NS BIRTHDAY
Tooth Anniversary Observed BY
Memorial Association.
AMERICAS GREATEST STATESMAN

senator Hoar Says Every Political
Party Finds Its Doctrine in Jeffer-
son-W. J. Bryan Also EuIogizes
His Memory.
Washington. April 14.-Hon. William
J. Bryan, Senator Hosr, OF Massachu-
setts. and Governor Montague. OF Vir-
mia, and former Postmaster General
( Charles Emory Smith. of Philadelphia.
were the principal speakers at a dinner
given at the Hotel Parton under the
auspices OF the Thomas jefferson Mem
o ial Association in the celebration of
the 16Oth anniversary OF the birth of
the author Of the Declaration of indie
prudence. About 40 guests were pres
emit A feature of the musical program
was the rendition OF a march by Lead
er Ssntelman. OF the Marine Band. en-
titled The Thomas Jefferson March"
Ii. Il. T. mcfarland, president of the
district commissioners, presided. and
! homas Nelson Page acted as toast
master.
The dinner was not OF a political
character. Senator Hoar responded to
the toast The Author ofthe Declara-
ton OF Independence" He spoke in
part as follows:
II we want sure proof OF Thomas
Jefferson's greatness, it will be found
In the fact that men of every variety of
political opinion. however far asunder.
ind confirmation of their doctrine in
him. Every party in this country to-
day reckOns Jefferson as its patron
saint. In my youth the political ADOLF
tionists made appeals to Jefferson the
burden of their soag. In the late dis
cussion which rent the country about
the Philippine Islands, one side quoted
what Mr.. Jefferson said in the Decla-
ration of Independence, and the other
what they thought'he did. in the acqui-
sition OF Louisiana. Every political
sect finds its political doctrine in JEFF
ferson, almost as every religious sect
finds its doctrines in the sayings OF the
Saviour of mankind. The friend OF
state rights calls attention to the fact
that Jefferson spoke OF the govern
ment OF the United States as the 'agen-
cy at Washington The abolitionists
quote the great declaration and his IA
nous utterance against slavery, L
tremble for my country when l reflect
that God is just The supporter of n
protective tariff claims him as the
highest protectionist in our history.
appealing TO his desire that there might
be wall around our country which
should keep out all foreign manufact-
ures.' The free trader maintains that
the cnfrff Of l..
everything he did teaches the doctrine
of unlimited freedom in all human con-
duct except so far as may be needfM
for the restraint of actual crime"
Mr.. Bryan. who as the last speaker
on the program. addressed himself to
The Statute for Religious Freedom"
He concluded as follows:
ITO Jefferson the doctrine of free
speech and freedom of opinion applied
TO everything. because he rightly I'M
derstood that no censorship of opinion
could be permitted that would not be
more dangerous TO truth than to error.
Attention is. called TO the fact that the
Almighty, Icing Lord both of the body
and the mind, yet chose not to propa-
gate it by coercions of either Jeffer-
son recognized that the Christian re-
hgion rested upon love. and that love
is the very antithisis of violence and
brute force. 1t is well to remember
that the Declaration of Independence
itself rests upon the same foundation
which supports our religion, namely,
love, and those who deny the doctrine
of human brotherhood are not apt to
respect the creed of inaiienable rights
and natural equality embodied in the
Declaration of Independence and the
constitution OF the United States.
Jefferson was the greatest states
man known to history. He believed
In the rights of the people, and had a
heart large enough to take in all hu-
mankind. He hated tyranny, whether
it manifested itself in religious or
secular affairs. and applied his ooctrine
to all questions"