Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-09
"Simplicity" Of Earlier Days.

It always wants something that never
was and never will be and never ought
to be. In the midst Of the shaky TIM
bers that make up the st. Louis plat
form, and just to one side of the gap
ing hole which is its chief feature, we
find this remarkable plank: we be-
lieve one of the best methods of pro-
curing economy and honesty in the
public service is to have public officials.
from the occupant of the White House
down to the lowest of them. return as
nearly as may be to Jeffersonian
simplicity of living"
The modern Democrats have some
very strange ideas about Jefferson
whom they profess to worship as
patron saint. There is certainly moth
ing in his life or record to indicate that
he was anything but sound money
man and an expansionist, for instance.
But IT. is i'm the matter OF the
simplicity" Of his life that they get
particularly muddled. 1t is matter
Of undisputed history. known to
every bright schoolboy. that Jefferson
was a thoroughgOing patrician, who
lived far more deliberately in relation
to his times than any American citi-
zen now prominent in politics. In his
history of Jefferson's day. Hawthorne
declares that the so-called great COM
moner" was an aristOcrat from the
crown of his head to the end of his
toes. and that he lived with more at
comparative extravaganza than any
president the country has ever had.
Recently Mr. Frederick Guernsey
gave some data with respect to Jeffer-
sons mode Of living. noting that, al
ready rich before the Revolutionary
war, he became far more SO by marry
ing a widow possessed of 10000 acres Of
land and 1873 slaves. Yet, when he
came to leave the presidency after
eight years of service he found himself.
on account of his love of fine living and
open hospitality a virtual bankrupt
and he was not sure that he could
leave the city without being arrested
by his creditors. Says Mr.. Guernsey:
Jefferson was a high roller in his
1nr<
Washington a bankrupt, Richmond
| bank came to his aid with a loan, but
to the end Of his days he was more OF
| less embarrassed in his circumstances
In 1914 he sold his private library to
| congress for $4,000. In 1926. Richard
Hone. that famous mayor of New York
raised for him subscription of $500
| to which Philadelphia added $1,000 and
| Baltimore $1,000. Thus jefferson was
| enabled to retain Monticello, his
| Virginia home one of the handsomest
private mansions in the United States
|. 1t was jefferson who intro
duced many of the minor elegancies o
life from France. including finger
| bowls. He rode in a coach imported
from France. drawn by pair of horses
| costing $1,000. a great amount for thai
time. His table was served by butler
and footmen in livery. and he dined
with ceremony off silver plate. At one
time he had $4,000 worth Of wine in his
cellar, and more than 1000 bottles were
found there when he died. Jefferson;
coat of arms was another apnendagt
not indicating plebeian tastes. Il
represented a shield bearing the heads
of two lions above a blue field and sur.
mounted by n third lion with thu
tongue out. 1t even appears on th'
fence surrounding his tomb. Such wa:
1.-The Thomas jefferson, third president
Of the United States. the idol of the
Democrats, and admired and beloved
by all Americans save the Adamses. o
Massachusetts. who cherish an historic
grudge against the Virginian to thi:
day"
The Kansas City Journal figures i
cut that the idea of Jeffersoniar
simplicity is due to the fact that he ex
pressed great belief in the common
people. Like many another aristocrat
he bent from his high estate and pro
fessed democracy of feeling which HI
certainly did not practice in his daily
life. AS the advocate of popular gov
eminent he was simply Incompatible
but 1t is silly for a national platform t.
offer as a model what it calls 'th'
Jeffersonian simplicity Of living
There is no public official in the Unite
States today who is as far separated
from the common run of people by thu
luxuriousness Of his living as jefferson
was a hundred years ago. If Roosevelt
should put on the style that Jefferson
did, proportionate. Of course. to tn
times and opportunities. 1t would cos
him 100000 a year to keep the pace Sc
by his distinguished predecessor.
A good deal of tommyrot is writer
and spoken about the democracy" o
the fathers. Our Democratic friend
seek to convey the belief that states