Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-15
CLEAR, CRISP AND CLEAN
AMERICANISM

EFFERSONIAN principles, about
which we hear from time to time.
are the first principles of Democ-
racy, and the first principles of Democ-
racy are the first principles of Amer
icanism. When Jefferson by precept
and practice inculcated a system for
the guidance of the thought and action
of the young republic he did not orig
mate anything. He merely reverted to
the beginning of Americanism and in
sisted that it was rather early in the
history of the republic to forsake SIM
plicity and moderation in all things for
a complicated ENHANCEMENT of wealth.
privilege, fashion and family pride bun
combe, in which primitive Americanism
would first become hopelessly involved
and finally indistinguishably lost
We would not rob Jefferson of a
single laurel leaf, but no one would
have been reader than he, in his direct
simplicity, to laugh at a kind of pa
triotism that pins its faith to the coat
tail of dead man anC neglects the
still living force that controlled him
during his lifetime. Jefferson reformed
the reactionary tendencies of the young
nation. In his day wealth had begun
to corrupt manners. The poor Ameri-
can and the rich American were no
longer equally fre> and freely equal
Strange illusions were crowding in the
train of that remarkable and dismal
delusion which says that wealth
makes the man. the want Of it the
fellow"
For one thing the executive mansion
had begun to resemble the European
courts, with their flummeries and fun
keyism, their precedences and their
preferred practices, their idiotic rules
and asinine exceptions. Beckoning and
bowling had begun to succeed the
squared shoulder. the expanded chest,
the dauntless eye of Americanism.
Wonderful were the trains of the court
ladies of Washington. Wonderful were
the horses and the chariots of the
courtiers that thronged the nations
capital. Wealth made the inauguration
ceremonials triumphs of Mammon.
When the president assumed office and
vowed before his God to be faithful
to his people. the rich man, rosy with
wine. danced in the great ballroom; the
poor man, elboweC by louts in livery
and cursed by military guards, shiv-
cred and gaped in the doorway.
If two citizens arrived at the White
House or at any of the governmental
departments, one in coach-and-four,
the other on good old shanks' mare,
the citizen afoot had about as much
chance of getting a hearing ahead of
the citizen in a chariot-as he has
today. And Jefferson changed all that.
Recent utterances of President Roose-
welt have shown that he, like many
other thinking 1.mericans. believes that
it is time for the republic to come to
itself again. 1t has sinned against the
light long enough and has already paid
dearly for its jereliction. The pres
ident in his utterances recognizes the
fact that the spiritual law in the nat
ural world will inevitably become a
destroying force if it's beneficent oper-
ism. Like many passages in the New
Testament, the solemn warning "VeS
not the spirit" has meaning much
closer to the vital interests of humanity
than many people realize. 1t is, in the
first place. commandment as binding
as any of the Mosaic ten. 1t is. in the
second place, concrete expression re.
Iating to condition which is concerned
with the laws and circumstances Of
daily life and experience. and not with
mere philosophical distractions. Pope:
well known lines are much better ir
the original version than in the TWEEN
tieth century perversion. Verify. no.
s'wealtl1," but
s'wor... makes the man. the want Of il
the fellow.
The rest is all but leather and pru
nella."