Mexico weekly ledger., 1910-04-21

Ninth Congressional District CLOSED
a most harmonious meeting here
friday with a banquet at the Hotel
Hoxsey in the evening. Many local
Democrats are among them. Mayor
fotts and the City Council were
present and enjoyed the evening.
Judge W. w. Bolts acted as toast.
master and introduced the Hon. Geo.
robertson as the first speaker. HIS
masterful and interesting address ap-
pears In full farther on in this ar.
ticle.
The Hon. II. W. johnson. of Mont.
gomery county, and e. W. Stephens.
OF Columbia, also spoke and euIogiz.
ed Democracy and dwelt upon the
bright future. Before the banquet
closed Ovid Bell, of the Fulton Ga.
zette, had a resolution passed thank.
ing the citizens of Mexico for their
hospitality and the Optimistic Club
for a delightful motor ride.
The Hon. Geo. Robenson's Address.
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen:-
From the earliest days when men
organized themselves into Govern
ments there has been, and there al
ways will be, so long as men are sell
fish, a conflict betkeen those who de-
sire to use Government for selfish
ends and those who are fair and
equitable and willing to accord to
all men of whatever condition equal
and exact justice.
The struggle Of the masses has
been at all times onward and upward
against oppression and privilege ex-
ercised by the few, until the Ameri-
can Democracy stands out as their
great achievement.
Cicero, in his great love of man
kind and justice to all, taught that
equality of right was the basis Of
the commonwealth. The same idea
found expression in the Great Char
ter wrung from the hands of King
John at Runnymede, in 1915, by the
barons, when they required him to
covenant with the people that, "ro
no one will we sell, to no one will
deny, to no one will we delay,
right or justice"
While this, since that time, has
been the controlling principle of the
English people, it arose and fell with
the varying conditions as the people
asserted themselves and we're again
hurled back by the arlstocratlc and
governing classes.
The next time II finds concrete ex-
preston is In the immortal Declare
ton of independence. In 1776. our
forefathers declared: "We hold
these truths to be self-evident; that
all men are created equal; that they
are endowed by their
Creator with certain in
alenable rights; that among these
are life, liberty and the pursuit Of
happiness; that to secure these
rights, Governments are instituted
among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the gov
.erned."
In the Constitution Of every State
Of the Union equal protection under
the law is guaranteed and afforded;
as in Missouri we find the Consti-
tuition guarantees that all persons
have a natural right to life, liberty
and the enjoyment of the gains OF
their own industry, and that right
and justice should be administered
without sale, denial or delay.
Equal rights to all and special priv
ileges to none yer treated by the
founders of our Covenant as axio
matte principles, But these princi
pies did not meet with their full
fruition until the adoption of the
Fourteenth Amendment to the Fed
hral Constitution, which vouchsafei
to all persons, natural born, natural
lied or artificial, the equal protec
ton of the laws. Glass legislation
discriminating against some and fay
oring others, is prohibited. By this
principle, the Congress and the STATE
Legislatures, the Presidents and the
Governors, must make and execute
fair and impartial laws for the mil
lionaire i'm his palace, for the MAJ
holding high social or lofty publi
station, and the laborer in his cot
tage, and the worker with the picl
and plow.
All Americans, regardless Of party
| stand together for these principles
but the application Of them bring
about the cleavage and divides u
into Democrats and Republicans.
The Congress has power to la
and collect taxes, duties, imposts an
excuses to pay the debts and p
vide for the common defense and ge'
eral welfare of the United States. u
der the exercise of this power, on
party insists in placing duties upoI
Imports for revenue only, the othe
upon making the duty so high a
to discourage and indirectly prohif
1t some particular import, for the be
eflt Of some home manufacture.
One party stands for a revenue on
ly. the other as the party of hig
protection.
Adam Smith. whose worn
Wealth of Nations" pronounce
by President Eliot, of Harvard, t
stand as the best allaround STATE
ment and defense of the fundamentf