The Ocala banner., 1922-05-12

Editor Tribune: The tank that / made
In birmingham 90 the American Supply
and Machinery Manufacturers Associa-
tion. az its annual convention. has been
50 much misrepresented. unintenitionaliy.
Of course. that I feet. in justice 10 my
self. that my friends AZ least should know
what did say.
Prior 10 the meeting q representative
of The Associated Press asked me for an
advance copy OF the talk but l did not
have any. as / have never written a speech
In my life. But the sienographer of the
association took what 1 said. / attach IL
hereto l would be under many Obliga-
ttons II you would reproduce It in fun
What / said speaks for itself.
Yours truly.
II. O. KNIGHT.
Peter o. Knight. TO the American Sup
ply and Machinery Manufacturers AS
sociation, birmingham. Ala. April "A.
1922.
Mr.. Chairman. Gentlemen: 1 am pro.
foundly grateful TO the executive com
mittee of the Manufacturers Association
for having so kindly invited me to ad-
dress you: but 1 wrote your wonderful
secretary that l would accept with the
distinct understanding that / should make
no address. no set speech: that 1 should
BE- permitted simply 10 talk to you SO.
1 am going to talk 10 you about optim-
ism.
Having the views that have with ref
erence TO the principles upon which this
great republic was founded believing as
i do that the security Of property the
protection of our rights. and the perpetu-
ity of this republic depend upon a strict
adherence to the constitution of this
country IL was originally framed and
Gus instrument has been butchered and
emasculated within the past ten years. it
is strange that l could be optimistic: but
I am. And after a while / am going
To- tell you why.
The Purpose Of tLe Founders
when our forefathers left the Old
World and came here they did so for the
purpose Of escaping the prosecutions of
the Old World and Of establishing a gov
ernment of their own. They held the view
that man has certain inalienable rights
the right 10 live. TO be happy. to have
liberty. and 10 have hold. and enjoy prop
erty. and that IL was the purpose of
a properly constituted government to Sc
cure man in those rights. which was
thought different from the form Of any
other government then existing in the
world; because in all of the governments
then existing the people derived their
rights from the government. But our fore
fathers held that the purpose Of q prop
erly constituted government was 10 secure
TO man his inaliensble rights. They held
the view that a man had the right 10 do
what he pleased. TO exercise his mentality
and his ambitions TO the utmost. the sky
being the limit provided he did not In
fringe upon the rights of the other man.
They held that in a properly constituted
government a mans rights were bounded
only by the equal rights of the other man.
They held that man did not derive his
rights from the government. but that,
upon the contrary. the government derived
its Just powers from the consent of the
governed They set forth those principles
in that remarkable document. the declara-
tion of independence. which was framed
on the fourth of July. 1776. and after
wards. in 1887. the greatest men then
living in this country met IN convention
in Philadelphia for the purpose of formu-
lating fundamental law for the government
that they expected and intended 70 es-
tablish for this country. That convention
was composed not only of the greatest
men that then lived in this country. but
the greatest men that then lived in any
other country or who have since lived. or
who ever will live. After four months
Of deliberation, characterized by such wis
dom. such foresight, such calm. deliberate
caution as has never before or never viii
in the future characterize the deliberations
of any body of men. the convention
brought forth that immortal document.
the greatest instrument ever penned By
nortals, the constitution of the United
States under which instrument every
state was guaranteed republican form of
government free from ecclesiastical DOM
ination or civil tyranny. and every indiv-
-iaual with the right to live. to be happy.
20 have liberty. to have. hold. and enjoy
property The guiding thought with
those wnndsrful men was that man had
certain rights and rhs1 they cane here to