The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-04-14
TON WATSON. HIS BOOK

which have had large sale. They
are all of the historical kind, dealing
with the French revelation, the life
of Napoleon, and his last, "The Life
and Times of Thomas Jefferson.
These works are real addition to
literature and history, especially the
history of the United States. TIE
writing of that history heretofore has
been almost wholly by men of New
England and is colored by the political
principles and religious environment
in which the authors were born and
lived their lives This history of JEFF
ferson comes from writer whose
environment is southern. Watson
seems to take good deal of delight
IN bringing out the inaccuracies OF
Henry Cabot Lodge, and especially
those of William Elroy Curtis, with
an occasional dig at Theodore Roose-
welt.
The style is charming. The Life OF
Thomas Jefferson can be read for en-
tertainment, as one reads novel, &c
interesting is almost every sentence.
There is said to be mo royal road to
learning" by which is meant that
learning must be acquired by lard
and toilsome application, but Watson
seems to have shown us royal road To
that part of learning contained in bio
graphy and history, for instead of be-
ing toilsome to read the Life of JEFF
ferson, 1t is recreation and a pleasure.
He gems to have way all his own
of throwing in sentence or part OF a
sentence here and there that startles
with its piquancy and separates right
from wrong as If cleft with two
handed sword.
The following are few samples of
such writing:
Nov and then some attorney who
pilots a syndicate, organizes trust
acts as pall-bearer to some dead
railroad, manipulates merger or
makes supreme court stultify Itself
on the question of an income tax, will
be paid fee of hundred Thousand
dollars, half a million dollars, or even
million dollars
1.-THE tax (tariff levied on articles
coming into the colonies) was not laid
on three or four thousand articles as
now, but only on half dozen or so.
Unless the citizen will now consent 10
wear the wardrobe of Adam and live
on air, earth and water, he must pay
the tax. Our forefathers had only to
deny themselves paper, tea, glass AID
paint to be out of the reach of En-
glands law"
"Endeavoring to talk as much with
out saying anything as--well as an
American president talking against
the trusts"
There is more actual, degrading,
heartless, soul-destroying serfdom On
this earth NOW than there was in the
year 1860"
mo promptings Of humanity can
resist military discipline"
Vast is the capacity Of the people
to endure official, legislative spoila-
tion."
1T being a popularity of huge col
porations to consider government as
having been instituted for their own
special behoof'
Special Providence does not appear
to conduct lawsuits
"Fatten on the carcas of dead pTus-
perity."
"A war whoop, by the way, which IS
not unearthly is not up to the stand
ard and is not allowed in the books.
Verify. diplomacy has ways that
are peculiar and language which is
queer!"
John Adams called Jefferson the
father of the American navy"
THE heavy upland rice which ne-
came such a blessing 10 Georgia and
South Carolina was grown from seel
which Mr.. Jefferson brought away
from Italy in hls overcoat pocket The
glorious protective principle made Ii
crime To export the rough rice from
its native home. and Thomas Jeifcr-
son. in the interest of humanity, be-
came smuggler."
"They 1.-THE nobles) were prosperous.
They considered the system a glorious
system"
AS the priesthood cannot b. as-
sailed without raising the err that
God Ii being attacked. 30 the rA.se Of
the privileged class can never Ia
threatened without provoking the
charge that the government Ia e.
/ daneeTed"
lie established the state church.
Not only that He told the whites thai