The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-07-01


and Dlackened the heavy strokes of the quill he
remarked to his fellow delegates:
but we must be unanimous; there must be no
pulling different ways We must all hang to-
gether.
I'VE must indeed all hang together" replied
benjamin Franklin Of Pennsylvania, "or most as
surely we shall all hang separately"
we Americans of 1921 can read a lot between
the lines Of these two historic utterances If we
dc a little digging into beforethe- Revolution
american history enough digging to get clear
luea OF what brought about the Declaration of
Independence. And it is every good Americans
patriotic duty to do that same diggng-and do
II now. OF course we're not an tarred with the
same brush but-to more tllne-honored Amer
leiin simiies-its dollars to doUghnuts that the
average American doesn't know enough to last
MN across the street about the causes leading up
TO the Revolution, And as for the Declaration II
self he couldn't to save his life tell what half Of
II means This is bad business in itself and its
especially bad right now.
For we are going TO have new kind Of Fourth
OF July celebration in the United States of Amer
lea. The Fourth has quit being the day Of FIRE
works and casualties. And in the new kind of
Fourth of July celebration the Declaration of In
dependence will come to its own as the browning
touch of public observance The American Rev
olution is The greatest seppingstone in the march
Of the centuries toward freedom and the Declara-
tion of Independence is its symbol.
Though the Declaration of Independence il to
come back to It's own, tie Foarth win not
lie the day when the American Eagle screams und
the orator bawls because Uncle Sam handed John
Bull K a century and half ago. There are
two reasons for this.
One is the World war John Bull and Uncle
sam stand shoulder to shoulder in defense OF
all that our common race holds dear of personal
freedom and political ideals.
The other is the fact that the Revolution was
not quarrel between two peoples the British
people and the American people. II was. in Its
earlier stages at least strife between two diff
erent political and economic systems. Ii was no
unrelated event, but formed part of the history
Of the race on both continents. There was Brit
ish revolution at the same time there
American Revolution. The British revolution was
TO regain liberty. The American Revolution was
to preserve liberty. On both sides of the Allan
tic the kings prerogatlves were the aim Of rev
attack.
Now, as to the many things that may be .ead
between the lines of what Hancock and Frank
lin said here's just a hint: Hancock was rich
1t part of the purpose Of the
British troops at Lexington and Concord to cap
ture Hancock. At that time Hancock was re-
spondent in the Admiralty court in suits of the
crown to nearly half a million dollars
penalties alleged to have been incurred for viola
ion of the laws of navigation and trade Han
.ock had inherited his fortune from his uncle,
Thomas Hancock, who had become wealthy snug
ding tea SO 1t was no mere than right that John
Hancock should sign his name large and plain
o the document which, If made good, would save
Tim from financial ruin and give him free
nerce with all the world.
Benjamin Franklin. publisher, printer, philos
pher and statesman seventy-one years of age
he Oldest member of congress- was more con-
erned with the political than with the CONNER
ial aspects of the situation. He made clever
est, but no man there knew better that there is
lany a true word spoken in jest.
So the truth Is that on our side of the ocean.
ne fundamental causes leading up to the Revo-
ltion were both political and economic-and pos
bly, quite as much economic as political To
We at the main features of the situation, the fol-
wing chronology is helpful
1760-Accession of George III. Conquest of Can
la by British.
1T61-Reyival of navigation and trade laws Of
i60 and 1868. Issues Of "Writs of Assistance"
1764--Pariament demands that colonies pay