The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-07-14


AzzEzzS For adjoining the broad grounds
which surround the old hostel, is an ancient
graveyard and the inscription Of the SIM
pie heRdstOnes in this graveyard tells the visitor
that underneath it lies the dust Of what had
once been a man named William Penn. Just be-
yOnd this grave stands a small brick building
which had once been farm house but which is
now used meeting house for those who call
themselves the Society of Friends but whom
know as the Quakers. Nearby, also, is another
building which tells a tale from American his
tory. 1t is only a barn but the beams In it were
once the timbers OF the good ship "Mayfiower'
in which the Pilgrim Fathers sailed to New Eng
land and this barn is now used as recreation
room by the Society of Friends.
So this pageant recalled once more to both
England and America the name of an English
man whose influence in the history of their ma
ton is greater than most Americans realize.
What that influence was is pointed out in new
biography of the founder of Pennsylvania which
appeared recently. It is civilian Penn Quaker
and Pioneer" by Bonamy Dobree published by
the Houghton Mifflin company. In an epilogue
which sums up the contribution of Penn to his
tory, the author points to the gigantic statue Of
Penn which stands on the top of the cupola on
the city hall in Philadelphia and says:
mo doubt Penn sometimes wearies of his
elevation. II would be so good TO get down. TO be
close TO men and women, to be once more in
crowd. to talk with living beings, instead of
eternally looking on, inactive, and, worst Of ALL
silent.
He has, however, every reason TO be proud
of what he sees from his inhuman eminence-
the miles of habitats containing some two mil
lion people, spreading away from between the
rivers TO the foothills; the factories; the
wharves; the great bridge which swings irresist-
fbly across the whole width of the Delaware;
the structures growing ever higher, If less gra-
cious spaced out on the grid he had conceived.
Yet If is not much more stupendous than
he had foreseen, when, at the very first, he had
suggested ten thousand acres as the proper
for his City of Brotherly Love: and when again,
once, a myopic settler had refused a city lot as
payment for a trifiing debt. he had as good as
told him he was a fool exclaiming, Cannot you
see, man. that this is going TO be great city?
And a great city il has been and is for long the
second il is still the third greatest in the United
States; and perhaps Penn does not repine at his
creation being surpassed by Chicago.
Its history has been noble for though it hest
tated at the beginning of the struggle against
England the still important Quakers being large
" Indifferent and then IoyaIist it was within its
precincts that the Declaration Of Independence
was signed and that the first flag of Stars and
Stripes was woven Later in the Civil war the
Quaker influence came into its heritage for Phil
Rdelphla was StouIly anrSlavery and, as Pe~n
would have wished convincedly anti-secessionist
1.-THE United States of America that name
would have pleased Penn. for in 1895 with his
startling capacity for seeing ahead, he had writ
ten booklet advocating the federation of all
the colonies though not. he would have pro-
tested vehemently, in opposition to the crown
Moreover of those states his own has been one
of the most fourishing. II had been -four
ishing colony from the beginning. for with what
ever troubles Penn may have had in govern
ment land his Province not by any means
the only one TO have such troubles) of all the
proprietary colonies, his easily the most
successful.
And even in government he had not failed
so disappointingly as he supposed; for with all
the alterations and tamperings, his old and SEEM
ingIy battered Frame ('.The Frame of Govern
ment" written by Penn in 1881 is yet the basis
of fundamental liberties. Il is still large
" true what was said of it In 1889 when Andrew
Hamilton speaker of the assembly, after belaud-
ing the happiness of Pennsylvania declared:
This constitution was framed by the wisdom Of
Mr. Penn, the first Proprietary and Founder Of
this province; whose Charter of privileges 10 the
Inhabitants of Pennsylvania viii ever remain
monument OF benevolence to mankind. and reflect
more lasting honour on his descendants than
the largest possessions