Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-10
TUESDAY. DECEMBER 10, 191
PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE.

We are again hearing and reading
that our form of government is ohso-
lete, that the tune has come for pure
democracy for the nation. by pure
democracy is meant the form of gov
eminent made famous by the New
England town meeting"
The Journal wishes TO assert again.
as it has asserted many times in the
past, that the form of the great
American republic cannot be inn
proved. The foundations of this ma
tion still challenge the wisdom of the
world for any change that would not
be detrimental
There should he at this time careful
perusal in every community Of those
foundation propositions OF our nation
and government, not merely az am
nounced in the declaration of indie
pendence, the constitution and pivotal
decisions of the supreme court, but as
discussed and calculated in the writ
ings of Thomas jefferson. Benjamin
Franklin, James Madison and Alexan-
der Hamilton. Were it not for shock
ing the religious sentiments of some,
we would also include the writings OF
Thomas Paine on political liberty.
Want the Practicable Now
We benefited descendants, spiritual
if not physical of those wonderful
forefathers of ours taken for granted
as in the order of the dispensatons
of nature what the eighteenth CEN
fury Americans secured by a triumph
of reason as well as by sacrifice a,d
devotion. We have largely forgotten
the revolution because the civil war
is closer to us and of greater manni-
tnde, and because of the war just
ending. We have a greater love for
Abraham Lincoln than for George
Washington. because Lincoln spoke
and wrote better than Washington
ANA because he was so intensely SYM
pathetic with all forms of suffering
genius and great man of action
though he was, but preserved and en-
larged what those earlier statesmen
originated.
That those first publicists and
statesmen of America penetrated to
the right solution of the problem of
government that had baffled civili2a-
tion fer centuries, is again demonstra-
tod by this war we are Just closing
and Tho lessons it has taught. If
much inspiration today is derived in
Europe from Lincoln, it is to Wash
ington and his group. to Franklin and
Hamilton, to Jefferson and Paine,
that sane minds are turning for prac-
ticable ways and means of freedom
and security.
\ Period of Great Men.
There never has been any period in
American history when so much in
tcliect was devoted to public affairs
as appeared in those early days
Washington was the efficient eXecu-
tive Of those philosophers and con-
structionsts. 1t is to be doIbted if
there is the equal of Hamilton in the
political annals of England and
France. Certainly the statement for
democracy that Jefferson made has
never been improved upon. The po-
litical writings of Franklin and Paine
arc the foremost expositions of the
philosophy of free government Mad
ison had not the splendid rhetoric of
Burke and Montesquieu, but he was
better political philosopher than
either
Strange that settlement of Eng
lishmen between the sea and the
wilderness should produce school
of political thought which the whole
free world attends of necessity. The
phenomenon resembles that presented
by Florence in the fifteenth century,
provincial town smqller than FL
Pasc of today. which suddenly pro-
duced artists and thinkers whose
works live today
What Schools Could Do.
As touched on by Neill B. Field in
his address on Britain day. published
in Mondays Journal. our high schools
and primary schools. for that matter,
instead of presenting the military as
poets of the revolution so emphatic
ally would do better to afford in
struction in the writings of Madison,
Hamilton, jefferson and Franklin.
Small children can understand much
~ them when interpreted by live
teacher, who. of course, must first
uadergtaHd them herself.
orr generation enjoys the fruits of
NSaat these men wrote, and our SOL
1lAss base just finished fighting for