The Nome daily nugget., 1916-09-01
LIBERTY OR DEATH


 United States and it's people had never visited America and did not under stand in the slightest the point of view of the people who were building here an empire greater than had been. Then, as now, the home government needed the money, and they sought to obtain it in every way they could, which was mostly by taxation. Then, as now, the American hated taxation which did not carry with it commen- surate representation, and our fore fathers rebelled. They demanded lib- denied them they got out and fought for it, just as they would do today. Fighting for liberty, they won-since that time every American who has been born has been born with a chip on his shoulder for the other fellow who dared to try to deprive that citi- zen of his constitutional rights insofar as the question of personal liberty is concerned.
 One hundred and forty years ago to- day the desire for liberty and the effort therefor eliminated in the birth of a nation. The roughnecks of those days gathered together in Philadelphia in a regular Bull Moose convention and Jraur mn constitution wbiab hoe prevailed until this day with most inconsequent changes. They fought and bled and died that America and personal liberty might live, and once a year since then the people have gotten together on the Fourth of July and hooped- -'er-up in memory of the men who started things right in this land of ours From the cradle American children are taught that they have cer- tain rights of personal liberty based upon the Constitution adopted one hun dred and twenty eight years ago, and that they must be prepared at all times to fight to maintain those rights-that from within as well as from without there are squareheads, who are bend ing their energies in the name of one thing or another to curtail those fiber ties, and that the United States will be less than it is if it's citizens con- sent to having their personal liberties curtailed. To date they have succeed nId save in spots in maintaining their 75..sonaI liberty. but there is always a fight on for that purpose.
 One of the best advertised men of those days and whose name was the first to be signed to the Declaration of Independence was George Washing ton. You may have heard of him. He was commander in- chief of the forces which freed America from British rule His was no easy job. His men had no regular payday and their uniform and diet were such as they could hustle The problem of feeding his army caus- ed Washington as much worry as did iiit ucitcll Ol iIlt cte1lN, anu 1iG WdS III q constant fight with congress and the higher ups to obtain what he consid- army. Some of his letters are now on file in the archives at Washington. One of them is that in which he jacks" up the commissary department Tor not getting supplies to him, par ticularly two hogsheads of salt rneats and four ihogshehds of .rum,' and throughout his campaign he depended a whole lot upon 'pickmeups" for his men who were subjected to all sorts of hardships. They won on a rum diluted diet, and America has been free since them. Washington then, and at subsequent times returned to his home and opened his little old distil- lery, which he conducted as a side issue until his death and willed to his wife, part of whose estate it constituted. | Then, as now, the Constitution entitled l
 
 wanted to, and insured him the right to be able to purchase healthful drinks in an open market
 Again, many years later, the ques- ton of state rights and personal rights arose in America and resulted in war. l That time it is to be regretted to state | the war was among ourselves. Citizens l of the southern states believed that | they had rights over the freedom of the blacks, and the citizens of the | northern states believe that they had no such rights, as the Constitution granted no such rights to Americans. Slavery was a heritage from British rule, and remained after it. They fought it out, and men live today who | were in that fight A man named Abra- ham Lincoln as the head of this nation was compelled to boss the fight from | the northern or government side He |