The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1913-01-24
THE ONLY DEMOCRAT"
IN APPRECIATION OF THOMAS JET
FERSON.

Above all things, this age stands for
temperance, industry, economy, eff
cheney. The parasite and the bar
nacle we're never In such bad repute
as they are today.
Mem who insist on throwing money
to the English sparrows supply amuse-
ment, but they do not command re-
spect.
For the first time in the history of
the world, we are agitating the propo-
sition Of getting government on q bust
ness basis. We are eliminating the
economic slack and taking up lost
motion.
The highest ambition of every good
businessman today is to be a good
public servant, and this was the con
trolling impulse inthe heartof Thomas
Jefferson.
Thomas Jefferson carried no excess
baggage He was five feet ten inches
tall and weighed one hundred and
fifty pounds. He used all the body he
had
He rode horseback until his eight
ieth year. Two particular horses that
he owned and loved have come down
to US IN history. One is Wildare and
the other Is Eagle.
This horse, Eagle, Thomas Jefferson
rode up the hill to the Capitol. There
he tied old Eagle to post and went
in and took the oath Of office as Pres
ident Of the United States. Not only
did he do this once, but four years
later he did the same thing, riding the
same horse.
Was any horse ever so honored be
fore? To have carried on his back
the Mngliest man that America has
produced. on such a momentong er-
rand, not only once but twiee-and
twice was enough.
The last time that President Jeffer-
son took the oath OF office he had to
eiude a valiant captain of militia who
insisted on acting as escort for him.
Jefferson simply beat him to It. and
after taking the oath of Office he
mounted old Eagle, turned his head
toward the White House and rode At
an easy trot down Pennsylvania
avenue. He met the escort In brass
buttons. gilt and braid and feathers
coming up the street, looking for their
man. Jefferson declined their In
yitation to turn about and ride al their
head. eireling the Capitol. on the plea
that he had work to do.
To him there was something greater
than military display; something
nobler than To make a noise and At
tract attention. And that one thing
to him was to serve humanity.
The Rule Of Homer.
Jefferson was a great writer and
had peculiar. distinct. literary style.
all his own. lie gave us a lesson IN
he use of the period. Ills verb al
Ways fetches up. He said thinga
clearly. distinctly succinctly fofeihly
and well The idea was clear IN hie
mind. and he had skill to express It
Just as clearly on paper.
He could not make a speech. how
ever. lie was no orator. And the few
times he attempted TO speak In public
he always carried his manuscript With
him. There was one time when he
attempted To make 4 speech Without
his manuscript, and failed. sitting
down without giving his message.
Jefferson had founded the Unixer-
sity Of Virginia and the enterprise
was fairly under way when some Of
the students were guilty of gross mis-
conduct
Jefferson believed in the honor Hys-
tenn. lie founded the public school
system Of America on this Idea. He
had such faith in humanity thai he b.
lieYed If the scholars were mol too
much lnterfered with they would do
what vas right best aud proper
Jefferson believed In the divinity Of
the child His faith was in the de
mos.
Jefferson said. That country II
governed best that IL governed least -"
lie believed in doing away with cor
poral punishment He did mol believe
in the death sentence He did not be
lieye IN slavery and by his will al Of
his alzsea were freed And these
glaYzz he had not bought. they came
to I'm b. inheritance and were part
of Ii family.
But on the particular occasion IN
mind. when the boys had forgotten
their better manhood and had visited
an Indignity in the way of hazing one
of their members, Jefferson appeared
In the assembly room of the college
and asked the principals permission
to speak to the boys He begun by
saying. Young gentlemen you are
sons Of Yirginians his voice
faitered he hesitated, again tried to
speak and. bursting into tears. sat
zhn