The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-02-08
Mrs. g. W. Hook, sprlngdale, KyJ


mrs. q. w. Hook, Sprlngdale, ky)
During that stormy period in the
history of this country, Immediately
preceding the adoption of the Declar-
alton of Independence, many great
thinkers and powerful leaders of pub
lie sentiment we're discovered. Pat
rick Henry, Samuel Adams, George
Washington, Benjamin Franklin and
Thomas Jefferson and many others,
proved their ability to grasp great
problems as only great statesmen do.
The acts of oppression, committed
against them by their sovereign, had
been submitted to until submission
became unbearable.
Patrick Henry, that fiery, impul-
sive Virginian, upon one occasion Of
evident tyranny, cried: 81 know not
what course other may take; but as
for me, give me liberty or give me
DEATH"
So, when Thomas jefferson was
delegated to draft a Declaration of
Independence, he merely voiced the
sentiments Of his countrymen, in an
nouncing the self-evident truth, ap-
plicable to all mankind-"All men are
created equal, endowed by their Gre
ator with certain inalienable rights,
among the life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness" That to secure
these rights governments are insti-
tuted among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the gov
erned.
How Thomas jefferson and his fell
low statesmen would repudiate the
narrow, arbitrary Interpretation of
these high ideals, entertained by GER
tain people today.
Think you Thomas Jefferson or Pat
rick Henry were so self-infiated as to
believe that their wives and mothers
were not as eager for liberty as them
selves? Does patriotism depend upon
sex!
Soon after the signing of the Dec
laration of Independence the various
states adopted constitutions, good
though not perfect. Some DEFICIENCIES
were discovered requiring changes and
remodeling, until at the present time,
most of them, entirely discarded, have
been superseded by new constitutions
adapted to modern conditions Several
which at the beginning, limited the
right of suffrage to property holders, y
others to taxpayers" alone, and still
other having religious qualifications
have happily outgrown such undemO-
cratic principles. But stay! There
yet remains 45,000,OO intelligent cit
liens of this fair republic who have
never been permitted any voice what
ever in the government which makes
the laws to rule them. Is this dem
ocracy?
Forty-five million citizens are still
deprived of this inalienable right
vouchsafed to them by those liberty
loving builders of this government
and are compelled to associate with
the imbeciles and criminals in Amer
ica's great trial of voteless people.
Though a long and bloody wal
proved the injustice and failure of the
principle of taxation without repre-
sentation," 100000 taxpayers have
no representation whatever, save thai
oft-quoted indirect method" of in.
fiuencing their voting friends.
The futility of this method was
proven in 1914, when a committee Of
ladies representing their sisters OF
Kentucky, modestly requested Ken,
tucky's legislators to put the question
of a suffrage amendment before the
people to be voted upon. The con
temptuous manner in which their re
quest was refused proved the weak
ness of such a method, besides plac'
ing a reproach upon Kentuoky's boast
ed chivalry and upon the Democratic
party in Kentucky that can not soor
be forgotten. But let us hope that the
Legislature of 1916 will have a better
record.
Our national constitution laid dowI
the general principles of our govern
ment, but the details had necessarily
to be disposed of by new laws and BY
amendments. Only when stronl
need was felt have the people deemed
il necessary to make any change. Al
Thomas Jefferson so ably words II
Mankind are more disposed TO suffel
while evils are siderable, than tC
right themselves by abolishing the
forms to which they have become ac
customed." However, politics and thu
passing events have had their effec
upon the minds OF the people anS
changes must come Our constitution
has been amended several times wheI
serious omissions have been diseov
cred. One which aroused much dis
cussion aud worse. was the Fifteenth
Amendment. stating that the right o
citizens OF the United States 10 vot
shall not be denied or abridged by tn