Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1924-07-04
"The Fathers Were
Mostly The Boys

How familiar are the solemn hom-
lilies about "the fathers" who promul-
gated our Declaration OF lndepend-
ence, and who framed our National
Constitution!
The columns and volumes OF We
nerative laudation of these men Woulo
fill small library. Ditto oratlons
would consume tens of thousands OF
hours.
One would think the foremost gray
bearded and age-wisdomed sages OF
the world had foregathered for pro
duction of our original organic law
Constitution and its basic prlncl-
ples Declaration of Independence.
Yet these men were much like men
easily to be found in our political or
public life today. An equal NUMBER
of men of similar intelligence, cour-
age, motives and vision probably
could be picked without much dill
Guilty from among our lncumoenII
Congressmen = both Senators ana
Representatives-in spite of the fact
that this body as it is now comprised
does not seem to have much standing
as whole.
AS for being "fathers"-they were
not the bespectacled, bald-headed, sill
yer locked, gray bearded sages and
Delphic oracles most of us have been
taught to regard them. They were as
other professional and business men
whose economic toes had been tram
pled upon and whose British self-es-
TEEN and combativeness had been al
fronted.
The average age of the men who
issued our Declaration OF lndepend-
ence was only "A years!
The man who drafted this immortal
document (Thomas Jefferson,( was
not much Of "father" at the time OF
his authorship. thereof. He was only
33 wears of age and had been mar
ried only four years:
All of South Cardinals four repre-
sentatives among the signers OF the
Declaration of Independence were too
Young to be president of the United
States. One was "a, one was 80, and
the other two were only 27 years OF
age!
Six other signers also were too
Young to be President-one 81, one
81. two 33, and two "a years Of age:
Two others were just of Presidential
age-35 years.
The oldest signer was Benjamin
Franklin-70 years. Only four others
were more than so years of age.
Eight more were older than SO years.
The occupations of the 81 Declara-
ton of independence signers were:
LAWYERS, 26; merchants, 8; farmers
6; physicians, 6; statesmen, z; and l
sailor. / clergyman, planter, l SOL
der, general, / printer, shoe
maker and 1 surveyor.
The "planter" (Braxton Carter OF
Virginia) was what some folks call a
gentleman farmer"-meaning he did
none of his farming work himself.
The general must have been SEN
sitiye about being classified as com
mon "soldier"-Richard Henry Lee OF
Virginia being the latter.
Thomas Nelson, Jr., of Virginia and
William Williams of Connecticut were
the two statesmen" Probably what
we now call politicians" or "office
holders"
The men who framed our original
National Constitution were even more no
boyish than the D. of |. signers:: The
average age Ol IllS SoliSIlIu1ioh iA'iii
ers was 43 years! ~,
Instead of speaking about the
fathers" etc., we better would refer
to them as "boys."
Most of them were Irregular tel
lows" They did good job---a very
radical and daring job for the time
in which they lived.
But nothing made by man is I'M
mutable. Constitutions are no eXcep-
tion. Ours merits respect and obedl-
ence. but none was ever made that
was not subject to improvement.
Plainly most of the solemn and
sage like pronouncements of other
"heavv stuff about "the fathers" is
merely bunkomb, designed to incul-
cate a revpossess to a large degree
the mental fere with and prevent
modification or amplification of their
work so it shall fit changed political,
social, industrial, and economic con-
ditions. >,
It is not reverence for "the fathers
that inspires this buncomb-or most
of it. 1t is the selfish designs OF the
privileged few.
Thev seek to prevent constitutional
changes that would force them off
the backs of the masses of the people.
Some of this reverential laudation
is really sincere. Some of our people
possess to large degree the mental
trait which dominates the Chinese.
They just naturally reverence old Gus
toms, old places, and old ideals. Can't
help it. Born and trained that way.
LATEST DIETICIAN FOR
MAN is THE RAT