Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-01
THE Soev of Thomas Hooker Americas First Democrat

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self. was to accompany him to America.
The police, hearing of his presence. In
England. set out to arrest him.
They knocked at the very room where
in Hooker and Stone We're talking,
Stone. so Cotton Mather reports, was
smoking, and Hooker had been warning
him that the use of tobacco was not
practiced by persons of sobriety." AZ
this point came the rap on the door.
Being of a sudden and pleasant wit"
Mather quantity states. the reproved
MI. stone swept unto the door, with
his pipe in his mouth. and such an air
of speech and look as gave him some
credit with the officers"
rs Mr. Hooker here?' one Of the po-
Ecemen asked.
Mr.. Stone. DO you mean the Hooker"
he innocently continued. that once
lived at Chelmsford?"
Yes. he" the officer answered.
IF it be he you look for Stone saius
waving his pipe. possibly. in the dis
rection, Il saw him about an hour ago
at house in town manning it,. You
had better hasten thither after him.
And the police FASTENED.
The Griffin. celebrated in prose and
poetry. on which Thomas Hooker and
Samuel Stone sailed for America, WAS
at sea for eight weeks. 1t carried 200
Cotton, later to be called the patri-
arch of England" and the stern Puritan
clergyman who declared and dccreed
that Sabbath began at sunset on Slts
urday and continued until Sunday at
the same hour.
A church with bell in the tower had
been built at Newton. now Cambridge,
Mass. and to it went Mr.. Hooker as
pastor and Mr.. Stone as teacher or as
sistant. 1t was probably the eighth
church organized in New England
Hooker Immediately began lecturing
on Thursdays, following his habit In
England. He discussed practices as
well as principles and touched on hui
man life in all of Its aspects and re-
lations. A merchant, he said, for ex-
ample had no right Ito sell as dear as
he can and buy as cheap as he can"
Congress now, more than 2S0 years
later, is trying to deal with the same
question.
In the spring of 1896 Hooker and his
entire congregation left Newton a7rt
removed to Connecticut. They droge
before them $50 cattle, swine and goats.
Mrs. Hooker, being ill, was carried on
litter. Guards watched camp at night
against surprise by Indians. The COM
gregation crossed the Connecticut river
on RATS made of logs cut in the forest
and halted on the opposite bank So
was founded the city of Hartford, naiaad
after Rev. Mr.. Stones birthplace IN
England Each family was given 4
two-acre lot. Rev Hooker at that time
owned eight cows.
A church was built. Near if were
the stocks, the pillory the whipping
post, the Jail and the market. The
usuale time for putting the first three
named adjuncts of civilization into
use" wrote George Leon Walker, the
I,;c ssxx-oc nf,,ra I,I- hnn ha
warnings against wronsdoinS uttered
in the meeting house could receive
practical illustration outside
Writing an argument to Hooker favor
of Massachusetts said: The best raEt
is always the least and of that best part
the wiser part is always the lesser.
Here.was defense of the doctrine that
the masses ought to be governed by thk
upper classes. I'm matters which concern
the common good" Hooker answered. "a
general council. chosen by all, to transact
business which concerns all l conceive
most suitable to rule and most safe for
relief of the whole.
Democracy was never described more
clearly. and its definition today is fi6
better than was Hookers $50 years ago.
Under the spell of Hookers lectures.
though the stocks and pillory were occn-'
pied. 4 general court of legislators chosen
by the electors was held and a popular
government for Connecticut established.
The first act of the Legislature was to De-
clare war against the Indians and to raise
an army of ninety men. Rev. Mr. Hooker
addressed the soldiers and Rev. Mr.. Stone,
as their chaplain, marched away with
them into the woods. "
wear and eight months later the "fir:st
written constitution known to history
was adopted. and all through it could be
seen the spirit, if not the hand. of Thomas
Hooker the first democrat of America
Connecticut his little federal republio,1
as John Fiske called it. Silently grew till .
it became the strongest political structure
on the continent u.,
And so it remained until after the revo-
lutIonary war had been fought and King
George had lost the finest Jewel in bis
crown. Hooker died on his birthday. when
he was sixty-one. Next Wednesday there
should b, honors for him and memories
sweetest flowers as well as for other men
Copyright, 1917. BY James D. Morrow.) .,.-