The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1910-03-05
SCORING FOR
HEROES OF '76
Fame Of American FOTefathers
Attacked In New Book.
PATRIOTS CALLED DEGENERATE

John HANCOCK Smug9ter ano Oe-
| fauIter, Samuel Adams Another
"Ne'er- WELL" Declares James H..
Stark of Boston.
James Henry Stark Of Boston has
written a book called 'sThe Loyalists
of Massachusetts and the Other Side
Of the American Revolution" which
refers to Samuel Adams and John
Hancock as defaulters and thieves and
classes other Revolutionary heroes as
'ne'er-do-wells," "degenerates" and
'1ooters and betrayers of public
trusts"
The book contains 500 pages and the
statement that In Virginia the Revo-
lutionary movement Of poor white
trash, or crackers" led by Patrick
Henry, was against the planter aris-
tocracy. 1t was only very slowly and
very deliberately, Mr.. Stark says, that
Washington identified himself with
the 'disunionist'' cause.
patrick Henry Unreliable"
AS for Patrick Henry, Mr.. Clark de-
clares that he was one of the most
unreliable of men, Byron called him
a forest born Demosthenes, and Jeffer-
son, wondering over his career, ex-
claimed: Where he got that torrent
of language is inconceivable. / have
frequently closed my eyes while he
lspoke and when he was done asked
myself what he had said without be-
ing able to recollect word of it. Mr..
Stark also recalls the circumstance
that Henry failed as a storekeeper
and farmer before he said. "Give me
liberty or give me deathr'
Samuel Adams, Mr.. Stark says, was
Ianother "ne'er-do-well" He quotes
la letter of Adams to prove that he
was a defaulter and as tax collector
of Boston did not make proper re-
turns Of taxes, his bondsmen paying
$4,000.
In telling Of the Boston massacre
the book asserts that the patriots
lpoured a torrent of coarse and pro-
fame abuse upon the soldiers, aston
fishing even In it's echoes across the
century" while 1t compares the Bos-
ton tea party with "the so called re
|spectable mob which on the 11th day
lof August, 1884, destroyed the Charles
town convent and a year later nearly
killed Garrison and made the Jail his
only safe place Of refuge. Had slav-
lery triumphed that mob would at this
do lo fhr NJ, nd ..Fv
lar glorification."
"John Hancock emugsler."
Mr.. Stark says John Hancock was
the owner Of the sloop Liberty, which
was seized for smuggling, and even
asserts that one-fourth Of the signers
Of the Declaration of Independence
were bred to trade or to the command
of ships. More than one Of them, be
adds, was branded with the epithet OF
"smuggler."
AS treasurer Of Harvard college, be
declares, Hancock received college
funds amounting to upward of f1h 200
Hancock, too. says Mr.. Stark, proved
to be defaulter. He tells how "fol
Twenty years the corporation begged
and entreated him to make restitu
ton and even threatened to prosecute
him. and 1t was only after his death
In 1893, that his heirs made restitution
to the college"
Josiah Quincy is quoted as saying
1t would have been grateful to pass
over In silence the extraordinary
course he pursued In his official rela
ton to Harvard college had truth and
the fidelity OF history permitted"
/ Calls Franklin Mail Thief.
Mr.. Stark also submits evidence tina,
Benjamin Franklin when sixty-seveI
years old was dismissed from the Of
fee Of deputy postmaster general o1
the colonies because he stole letters
from the mail. He relates In detail
how Franklin was tried in England
and dismissed from the service. Tht
reference is, Of course, to the historic
incident Of the SO called Hutchinson
letters"
Mr.. Stark was born In London, but
came to the United States when nine
years old. He is the author OF severa
books. resides In Dorchester, Mass
is president OF the British Charitable
association. vice president of the Vic
torian club and member of the New
England Historical Genealogical SO
ciety.