Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-07-02

schools, where they were taught to
reverence the British king. When
Richard Henry Lee arose on the mem.
orablc 7th Of June, 17T6, and read the
following resolution: Resolved, That
these united colonies are and Of a
right ought to be free and Independent
states and that they are absolvcd from
all allegiance to the British crown" his
own boy was at that time attending an
English school. This American youth,
some weeks later, was standing beside
one of his teachers when visitor ask
ed, who is that boy?" HE Is the son
OF Richard Henry Lee" was the teach
ers answer. Then the visitor placed
his hand upon the lads shoulder and
soid, boy, we shall yet see your ia.
theirs head upon Tower hillr' To this
the son replied, Yes, you may have II
when you get It'll" If Richard Henry
Lee for years had been conspiring for
American independence, he would new
err have sent his son across the sea to
be educated under the dominate and
influence Of the English throne. The
Declaration Of American Independence
was written and signed as q last resort
and because the British ministry would
not listen to American petitions. 1t
was written because King George with
the faulty of royal and imperial ma
lures imagined that he had the right
to enforce his will on q people as reso-
lutte as himself. He believed that 1t
was for him TO command and for them
to obey and that their protest against
taxation without representation was
wicked rebellion against divinely con-
stituted authority. 1t was written be-
cause our forefathers believed that In
struggle for right and justice God
would be on their side, though they
had to contend with foe more power
full than themselves.
Englnnd's Mistake.
Standing here, in this year of grace
1908 with our hands upon this venera-
bic and sacred scroll, we may learn the
mighty lesson that the really true. the
great, the omnipotent and enduring
government Is not that which rules by
force of arms, but by the all conquer
Ing power Of justice, and OF justice
alone. This IS the historical teaching
OF England's mistake in 1I76. We
have now a great nation, stretching
from the Atlantic to the Pacific and
from the gulf of Mexico to the great
lakes-a nation of over 10000, 900 souls.
But our people will remain great ma
ton only so long as they are an honor
able and an honored people. Beware
of the legislation that would make one
law for the rich man and another for
the poor man. Beware of the law
that would send an ignorant criminal
to prison and yet permit a brutally
selfish coal baron to traffic in child
labor. Beware of n social condition
which makes it possible for capital to
starve and grind down labor while la
Dor, with an honest heart, IS ready to
give capital a full days work for q
fair days wage. Our laws should toll
crate neither tyranny of capital nor
tyranny Of labor, but should afford
equal protection to both and facilitate
mutually OF interests and friendly re-
laions between them. 1t is only when a
government honestly tries to admins
ter equal justice and afford equal pro-
lection to all its subjects that it gathers
the robes of immortality about Its
loins. When a government by unwise
laws and administrative neglect makes
possible the enslavement or oppression
Of its seemingly helpless ones such a
government is paving the way for its
own disintegratiOn Had King George
III. been wise ruler and had Britain
tried to be as just to the thirteen colo
MES in 1176 as she is honestly trying
to be to her colonies at the present
time our country might have remained
the brightest jewel in the British
crown. Would that our own land,
profiting by this great lesson, so closely
interviewer with our national birth and
childhood, might always be just to the
helpless, the weak and the poor as we'll
as TO the rich, the influential and the
strong
Strength In the Right.
The strength of our present govern
ment Is due to the fact that it tries to
w J'Sb " hii 40 PNpPit, lIcoIt(llNt VI
class. Ours is n government" said
Theodore Roosevelt in u recent speech,
"of liberty through and under the law
No man Is above 1t, and no man is be-
low it. The crime OF the cunning, the
crime of greed, the crime of violence
all are equally crimes, and against
them all alike the law must set It's face
This is not and never shall be a gov.
eminent of the plutocracy or of the
mob 1t is, as 1t has been and as it
will be, a government of the people.
including alike the people of great
wealth, of moderate wealth. the people
who employ others, the people who are
employed-includng them all, protect
Ing each and every one If he acts de-
Gently and sQuarely and discriminating
against any one If he does not act
sQuarely and fairly, if he does not
obey the law. While all people are
foolish If they violate the law or rebel
against it-wicked as we'll as foolish,
but all foolish yet the most foolish
man in this republic is the man of
wealth who complains because the law
is administered with impartial Justice
May God always continue to give to
us for the office of chief executive men
who are presidents of the whole peo-
pie, who will see that the government
is not Wall street hireling or gigan-
tic monopolizing trusts employee; who
will protect the rich as well as poor,
black as well as white. Jew as we'll as