Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-05-30

all love 1Or ana nope OF liberty 10 act
| out our better nature? Do not cove
tiousness and cupidity lead us to forge
anew the chains of the slave? Will
| not child labor stunt the intellect and
produce human drudges? Where is the
liberty for the individual that capital
seeks? Where is the regard for human
beings shown by corporations? Do
trades unions invariably promote the
best interests of their members? What
does the political leader care for the
Will it be contended for a moment
that the managers for municipal, coun-
ty, territorial or national affairs work
chiefly for the good of the people?
Is liberty then merely a word to con
jure with? Is the liberty. you of the
ly the right to control in a limited way,
ones own body? Is there no larger,
fuller idea of liberty? If we have life
should we not have such liberty as will
bring happiness? We all desire happi-
ness-untiringly search for it-cease-
ltSols olllNt lOl I'LL VIC w hol PUG
sess and enjoy it, is it not because of
our ignorance, our faults. the cruelty
of others, or the untoward conditions
that surround us?
Another important lesson taught the
nation and the world, by the issues of
the civil war, was that the rights of in
dividuals living in a state are necessar-
lily controlled and limited by the rights
of those associated with them in the
social compact. Theoretically the doc
trine of states rights" could be sup
ported by the most convincing logic.
people believed that they were at ..o-
erty to withdraw from the Union when
ever they chose to do so. They were
willing to fight for that right. They
did fight b~ravely and well, a. you who
opposed them on the field "a testify.
But, they were just rs wrong on this
proposition as they We're on the propo-
sition of slavery. The northern states
regarded the erection of the Confeder-
ate government as a menace to their
safety. The great north and middle
west could not brook the idea Of allow
ing the mouth of the Mississippi, the
natural channel for their products to
the markets of the world, to be con-
trolled by a foreign power.
And so the great war vas fought
and the surrender at Appomatox de-
clared to the world that neither indi-
non naAn1ng annIl nxnrofun
their rights in such a way as to inter
fere with the rights of others.
The immortal Jefferson expressed
this great truth in this way, mo man
has a natural right to commit aggres-
sion on the equal rights of another;
and this is all from which the laws
ought to restrain him"
/ quote so often from the writings
of Thomas Jefferson, because now,
more than ever, his wisdom is recog-
nized by the leaders of all parties, and
those connected with political affairs
look TO him as the exponent of the
principles Upon which our government
was founded and by conforming to
which the true ends of organized socie-
ty can be attained.
As we, today, pay homage to those
who gave their lives to their country,
in the early sixties, let us learn well
the two lessons taught us and the
world, at so much life and treasure.
Man has the right to the fullest lib
erty and ought to use 1t SO as to ex-
pand every faculty of his being, but he
has no right to exercise this right so
as to interfere with the rights of 9TH
ers.
We are confronted today with grave
social and governmental questions.
The century and a quarter of the ma
tons life, marked by many wonderful
advances in every department of hui
man activity, has not solved the prob
lem of government. The people are
not ensured the full measure of liberty
and happiness, We should carefully
consider whether under the present
economic conditions, happiness is not
impossible of attainment. Do not our
laws, customs and social ideas force
us into involtary serfdom? Do not
greed, ayarice and ambition compel us