The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-14
JUDSON HARMON
ON JEFFERSON
Address of Former Attorney
General at Banquet
at St. Louis.
1DE0N HALL WELL FILLED
sAREER or DEMocRAcY's PA
IRON SAINT PORTRAYED.

st. Louis. Mo-. April 13.-The one
hundred and sixty-fifth birthday ami
versary of Thomas Jefferson was cele-
brated by the jefferson club tonight
with a meeting at the Odeon, at which
former Attorney General Judson Har-
mon of Cincinnati and United States
Senator Thomas p Gore of Oklahoma
were the principal speakers. The meet
ing was in the nature of mass assem-
bly, and the Odeon. which has a seat
ing capacity of 1900, was comfortably
filled.
A dinner of club members. at which
Mr.. Harmon and Senator Gore were
the guests of honor, was held at the
Jefferson club prior to the meeting.
Following the dinner the Jefferson Fife
and Drum corps paraded 10 the Odeon,
as escort TO the speakers.
Mr.. Harmon spoke as follows:
Address of Mr.. Harmon.
We meet tonight in honor of one who
a hundred years ago retired from pub
lie service, yet who still stands second
only. In the eyes of most. to him whom
all acknowledge to be first. This might
be expected here on the great domain he
secured for the union. but thousands are
meeting elsewhere all over the land 10
nence does not rest or either of the things
which appeal most strongly TO the admira-
ton OF men Thomas Jefferson wholly
lacked the gift of oratory; and, though
he was young and strong during the revo-
luton. he never drew the sword. In fact.
" was long disputed whether he was eff
ficient as war governor of Virginia when
the state was repeatedly invaded by the
foe.
Why Jefferson ls Revered.
His lasting hold on the grateful remem-
brance of his cOuntrymen is due wholly
TO the ideas OF liberty and equal rights
for all whose chief advocate he was and
10 the principles he established by which
these may be enjoyed without losing the
benefits which civil government alone can
supply.
As a mere theorist he would have been
supreme, even in an age when the best
thought of mankind was given to those
subjects, because his conceptions were
high and he clad them In clear and i'm
perishable speech But he was more He
gave his long and laboriOus life TO de-
veloping and making them understood OF
al men, and he was called and recalled
by his countrymen to the highest place
or authority, where he demonstrated their
practicability by putting them I'm force
And he alone of all the great men of
his time founded a party which still ex-
ists-a party which must exist so long as
government by the people shall endure
The great truths which relate to lib
erty and human rights do not change
teal business by which they are to be
applied under ever varying conditions
The first requirement for this is clear
comprehension and firm grasp Of these
truths. Otherwise the task Is doubled
settling principles as well as applying
them; and the risk of error is doubled
tonight. to the first great leader TO freshen
and correct our ideals and assure our
grasp OF the principles Of Democracy.
Three Strong Points.
shall speak tonight of three Jeffer-
sonian ideas;
The active sovereignty Of the people.
The supreme Importance of state and
local selfgovernment,
Restriction of the functions Of govern
ment.
Down to Jeffersons time the people
merely submitted TO government Author
ity was imposed on them-it did not come
from them. The declaration announced
that the sole source Of authority must
be the consent of the governed" As the
idea Was worked out this consent was
not merely passive The people themselves
fix the powers to be exercised and choose
the persons to whom those powers are en-
trusted.
Opposed TO Hamilton.
AZ Haminons idea was that the people
unjust. be governed; Jeffersoa's was that
they should themselves be the active force
should in fact as well as in theory gov
ern themselves. That they might do this
we'll. Jefferson became one of the first II
not the first, advocates of education for
all. Of press and speech absolutely free.
mention in his eptaph was his service in
providing for education. And he first or
ganiZed the great body of the DeonIe a s
the controlling force in public affairs
He knew there is no magic in the form
OF government: that there is danger of
misrepresentation and mistake under a re-
public. though II is reduced when the col
lective Judgment Of all the people is IN
EOEpd. So he said.
THE true foundation of Republican gov
eminent Is the equal right OF every cit
lien In his person and property and in
their management. Reduce your
legislature 10 a convenient number for
full and orderly discussion. Let every
man who fights or pays exercise his Just
and equal right In their selection Sub
nit them TO appreciation or rejection at
short intervals"
In local affairs:
Divide the counties into wards Of such
size that every citizen can attend when
called on and act in person"
Trusted the People.
With these precautions he believed the
people will decide wisely and we'll Their
instincts on vital subjects are never AT
fault AT any rate, the risk is only OF
their own mistakes which they can read
lily correct, and not of the mistakes of
others. which are harder to correct They
are free from the impositiOns from which
all peoples suffer who are subject to any
safeguards Of the constitution amply Dro-
tect the rights of individuals against in
Vasion by majorities-
The people have carefully established
the mode and manner in which alone their
Will Is 10 be made known. They have in
vested the federal government with GER
tain powers and their respective state
governments with other powers All pow
ers not so granted they have chosen 20
retain until they think best TO grant more
Now, any official who undertakes TO do
something he has not been authorized to
do, even because he thinks the interests
of the people require IL to be done is
imposing his authority on them. He as
sumes that he knows better than they do
what is best for them, because their fail
ure to grant such authority means that
If the public agencies they have created
cannot accomplish everything to be wish
ed with the authority given them il is
better 10 submit for a time to inconve-
nience than run the risks of experiments
by public officials with new and untried
powers.
Aristoracy and Socialism.
The body polite has two elements which
are already seeking TO lay hands on the
supreme authority. one tending TO aris-
socraey, which wishes to control it: the