Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1942-09-17
THOMAS JEFFERSON

cestors was signed TIL. Jefferson
Please notice the abbreviation
"Th.'' The county in which we
were all born was Jefferson. My
uncle 40 years in India was named
Thomas jefferson Scott. My cousin,
likewise a missionary was named
Jefferson. / believe all my rela-
tives, without exception, were out
side of any party relation to him,
yet his influence was SO great that
to be named for him was regarded
as a great honor, in justice to his
character.
His father was of humble and
poor Welsh ancestry. Fortunately
he married Jane Randolph, her.
self of a distinguished family, one
of the First Five Families of Vir-
ginia (F. F. W. The widely diff
fering strains were shown in his
makeup. He had the refinement
and intelligence of his mother, the
simplicity and lowliness of his
father. He was a tall, straight, an
gular gentleman, shy, but sanguine,
both in complexion and tempera-
ment. He inherited from his faith
er 1850 acres, much more from
his wife, and at last had control of
nearly 10000 acres 1t is stated
that he bought from George III the
invaluable Natural Bridge for a
shilling.
A scrap of paper written later
relieved the King from any Ameri-
can possessions. Jefferson wrote
the Declaration of Independence.
Franklin and Adams amended some
parts of it. The other two sign
ers were Robert Livingston and
Roger Sherman. The five were
closely linked in our early history,
Jefferson followed Franklin as am
bassador, was Secretary of State
under Washington, vice president
under Adams, and president when
Livingston negotiated the Louis
lana Purchase.
For clarity, simplicity and felic-
ity of expression the Declaration is
unique. Love of Greek and Roman
classics made him expert in the use
of written language. Never a ready
speaker, he was a great scholar.
Enlightenment was his religion.
He believed education would
solve all difficulties of free govern
ment. He secured a statewide plan
for education in Virginia, with free
tuition in school and university. He
was founder and architect of the
University of Virginia. He secured
a place in the Constitution for the
Bill of Rights. He labored to eX-
clude slavery from new territories,
but his bill failed of passage. He
had many slaves, yet hated slavery.
Peace with England established, in
1884 he labored to exchange the
awkward currency for a decimal
system of dollars and cents
He was the first president to be
in Washington. His
party was called Republican, yet he
was the first Of democrats. You
look long at the old gig, in which
he rode to Washington, tying his
horse, and walking alone to his in
He was sworn in by
John Marshall, cousin and life
long opponent.
He made no pretensions to ele-
gance, choosing simplicity in all af-
fairs of state and society. Yet he
loved the beautiful, and
the practical. He sent rice-seed,
plants and shrubs from France. and
practiced crop-rotation. He built a
grist-mill and nail-factory, invent
ed many things, including the poly
graph Visitors look long at the
folding doors and clock at Month
cello. France awarded him a gold
medal for his plow mould-board.
He was "father of national archi-
,ecture," drawing plans for the
state capitol, and the University of
Virginia.
Look at his bed! It could be
carried by mechanism of his in
7ention at a moments notice to
he room above. His life was for
'eit. Gen. Tarleton raided his
lome, but he escaped. The bird