Evening star., 1937-12-16
Tea Party Anniversary.


anniversary of the Boston Tea Party
may not be celebrated in New England
with the enthusiasm which once distin-
guished the annual occasion, but to the
people of the disenfranchised District Of
Columbia the date still has a particular
significance. 1t furnishes opportunity
for a reaf1rmation of a fundamental
democratic principle dear to the hearts
of Americans everywhere and of those
citizens of the United States who reside
in the Nations Capital especially.
Even the most casual student of history
is familiar with the fact that self
government is an ancient ideal. 1t traces
back to the most distant past and was
in no respect a novelty in 1773. The
earliest colonists who left their homes
in Europe to settle in the New World
were animated with q desire for the
enjoyment of pure civil, political and
religious freedom" It was wholly natu-
raj, then, that "the claim of the British
Parliament to legislate for the colonies
was boldly denied by the colonists."
Most writer's on the subject agree that
the resistance to the tyranny of the
Mother Country began to take definite
form when the Board of Trade was
established in 1896. Under the title Of
Lord Commissioners for Trade and Plan
tations, the new body was designed to
bring the colonies into 'stricter control"
It represented in purpose, method and
presumptive effect the conception of
the Crown and its principal ministers
that the colonies should serve England,
not England the colonies. OF course, a
Molasses Act, passed by Parliament in
1913, imposing duties on molasses, sugar
and rum imported into the North Amer
lean colonies from the British West
Indies, was fair example of the contra
diction which was fated to promote
revolution. AS the New York agent in
London declared, 1T is divesting the
colonists of their rights as the Kings
natural-born subjects and Englishmen,
In levying subsidies upon them against
their consent"
Such policy was obnoxious in itself;
its fruits were troubles of every conceiv-
able NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. with COM
merce, dissension about civil lists, judi
cial misrule, military and naval impress
ment, arbitrary stimulation of the slave
trade, coercion and meddling, neglect
in some things and usurpation in others,
"evils insufferable," "a long train of
abuses" James Otis summed up the
indignation of the colonists in the prop
osition: Every man in the dominions Is
a free man" and mo part of His Maj
esty's dominions can be taxed without
their consent" The Stamp Act of 1765
was the Mother Country's answer. It
was repealed too late, and the Declara-
tory Act Of 1766 also was fatal error.
The storm gathered day by day, night
by night, until it was clear to everybody
concerned that nothing but spark was
needed to touch of the ultimate
explosion.
That spark was the raid on the tea
ships. Sixty Boston patriots, disguised
as Indians, did the work. 1t was law
less destruction Of private property" in
the judgment Of George III, but it SYM
bolized spirit which had been gen.
Grated by intolerable oppression. The
people of Washington today as never
before can understand and comprehend
the motives Of the Sons of Liberty. In
common with their neighbors in other
communities, they want the privileges
and the responsibilities Of an honorable
share in the management of their own
affairs.