The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1904-04-21
Chicago, April IA, 1904.


was read at the banquet given by tn
Irouuais Club, of Chicago, last nigh
in celebration of Jefferson's birthday
"To the Iroquois Club, Chicago, H.:
Gentlemen-I regret very muc
not to able to be with you on the oc
casion of the celebration of MIR. JET
ferson's birthday. l am in spirit an
politically with you, notwlthstand
ing my bodily absence. There is il
the history of all the world no birth
day, except one, so we'll worth beinl
celebrated by the masses OF mankind
Mr.. Jefferson was very nearly I'M
only man of equal or of approximate
celebrity in his time, who slncerel'
believed in the capacity Of the peopl'
for self-government 1t is to hin
more than to any other man that WI
owe the first ten amendments to tn
Federal constitution. Without then
there would have been no fundamen
tai guarantees of freedom Of speech
freedom of assemblage, freedom Of
religion, freedom from unreasonable
search, in short, no bill Of rights fol
the American people. Moreover, there
would have been no distinct declara'
tion of the great democratic princl'
pie that the powers not delegated tf
the Federal government are reserved
to the states, or the people therein
In this day it is especially we'll tc
remember what Mr.. Jefferson stood
for. | would suggest that you have
some one read to the lroquois Club
Mr.. Jefferson's first inaugural address.
1t is the political Sermon on the
Mount of all democrats, and would
not make a bad platform for the
democrats, even in this year of our
Lords grace, 1904.
@Are democrats anti-consolidation-
lists? Mr.. Jefferson taught them the
doctrine. Do democrats believe that
a national debt is not national bless
ing, but a national curse? Mr.. JEFF
ferson taught them that. Do demo-
Gratis believe that there should be
left to the individual every liberty
possible, consistent with the welfare
of other individuals, that there should
be left to the town or the county the
largest possible measure Of home
rule, that there should be lodged in
the state every judicial and legisla-
tive power that is not strictly national
and necessary to the public defense
and to national independence? They
got that lesson from Mr.. Jefferson.
Mr.. Jefferson taught and taught
wisely that as a rule, the people least
governed are the best governed, and
that the less Federal interference
with local self-government in the
family, in the town, in the county,
and in the state, the better for all
concerned.
s'Do democrats believe that, within
the scope of the exercise of Federal
power, there should be as nearly as
possible equal opportunities and equal
burdens? Mr.. Jefferson taught them
that, Do democrats believe that the
taxing power ought to be used for
the purpose Of raising a revenue to
carry on a government constitution
ally, economically and effectively ad-
ministered? That was one of Jeffer-
sons lessons, too.
do democrats believe that the OBJ
iect of all government is the happi-
ness and prosperity Of the masses,
the greatest good to the greatest
numberY he being the author OF the
phrase. Do they believe that our
foreign policy ought to be based upon
the idea of friendship for all and en-
tangling alliances with none? He
was the Secretary Of State under
whose guidance Washington practiced
the policy. Do democrats believe in
a proper and right expansion over
unpeopled areas or homogeneous and
assimilable people-an expansion car
rying with it equal laws and our
common constitutional guarantees?
Mr.. jefferson set the example and
blazed the way. Are democrats anti
colonialists? Stronger denunciations
Of colonialism and Of the arbitrary,
unlimited government lodged within
the discretion Of the governors, that
necessarily goes with it, were never
! AL.r Az ,,ffarauooo nf Mr.