The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1904-09-09
MAN.s RIeHT ID ZOE.


It Is -oiina doctrine that every man
who lsnows how to 10 legitimate labor
has right 70 vote, whether he can
read - write A. has be4n publicly
said hero man does mt havc 10 b.
able to read. write and agare Is be an
educated man. Book learning does :tos
necessarily make an educated man. 1hs
man wino builds strainght and pcrfeCs
wall has polished education along III,
line 81 work The farmer syho know
how to grow 4 corn crop or any other
crop. or 10 keep his farm as he would
have L. i eduCated in his line. The
common iahorcr who knows how and
does the work required Of him Is @lu.
Gated in his line aud his right 10 earn
a living for himself and family by the
sweat of his brow IS not to be ques-
toned There is education in all lincs
Of work Work itself, If pursued
brings education.
And as all men are created equal, all
come into the world in the same way
and all must leave 1t by the same route,
it must be true that all men have
just right to have a say in the govern
ment that they are u part of. They
are not to be disbarred and disfranchised
because they can not read and thorough
" understand the Constitution. They
work and by their labor the country is
built mp. They bear a portion of the
tax burden They constitute the citi-
zenship OF the nation. They are the
nation itself. Then why should they
not have right TO voice in the gov
eminent. and why should they he de.
prived Of the right to vote? Democratic
politicians undertake to say that il
Iiter,cy means unfamiliarity with
hooks and the lack of book knowledge
In the technical sense that may he true
but it is equally true that that sort al
illiteracy does not mean lack Of com
potent and capable citizenship.
There are thousands of instances
where the man without bcok.learninq
makes n grand success in life. while the
man with it is making miserable fail,
ure. Book education Is not enough to
make success. nor to constitute real
citizenship 1t forms good founda-
ton. OF course, for something else just
as essential and that essential Is edu
cation in the ayocation one follows. 4
law course Is a good thing for one who
wants to practice law but the men cdu-
cation comes afterward How to meas
IRE . wall i a gocd thing for one who
comes ont Of scnool and starts ont To
be a stone mason. but with that alone
he finds himself q novice and must 90
thrrnca raother line nf education. one
tho' sally applies to that trade
The saaie IS true with every trade and
pro'o-i on and the main success Is based
on .'e oueatiou acquired after getting
away from the books. In many of the
trades ii is even unnecessary to have
book learning to succeed, although, that
of course. Is very good thing and of
ten an aid. but the man who sets out to
make living can do it without book
knowledge.
And. when these suggestions and re
eitals Of actual facts are applied to the
man who must make his own living and
that of those dependent upon. besides
contributing his part to the common.
wealth. it stands to reason that he is a
member Of the great body that consti
tutes the state and nation and that he
has the right to have say as to wnat
the laws shall BE- and who shall govern
the country. and that recalls the old
Revolutionary maxim: +Taxntion with
out representation is tyranny That
is exactly what Democracy is Prnctis.
ing. where it han the power and what
it designs to do in this state should il
cot the chancc to do %.