Evening star., 1943-07-03
Libertoriun Remembered

patriotism all her own.
Liberturiun Remembered
The degree to which John Locke
recently has been neglected may be
judged from the fact that in the
twenty volumes of the Dictionary Of
American Biography there Is not
even one single reference to him.
Yet his effect upon the institutions
Of the United States is exceeded by
none Of his contemporaries. DR..
william Starr Myers Of Princeton
University explains: "His most char
acteristic contribution was his doc
trine Of natural rights. He main
tanned that life, liberty and property
were the inalienable rights Of every
individual. He believed that the
happiness and security Of the in
dividual were the ends for which
government came into existence"
How greatly respected were his
conceptions in the American Colonies
in the eighteenth century is indicated
by DR.. c. F. Merriam's testimony
that: Almost every writer seems to
have been influenced by him, many
quoted his words, and the argument
OF others shows the unmistakable
imprint of his philosophy. - No
better epitome of the revolutionary
theory could be found than In Locke
on civil government" A similar
tribute is offered by V. F. Calverton
in the affirmation: Locke gave life
blood to American revolutionary
doctrine and infused it with the spirit
that was to find voice in the
Declaration Of independence"
The very language employed by
Thomas Jefferson is proof of his
debt to the English libertarian. For
example, Locke in his Essay Con-
corning federation" produced in 1866,
wrote that "the people (are) more
disposed to suffer than right them
selves by resistance" but III a long
train of abuses, prevarications and
ordinances all pointing the same way
make the design visible to the people
it is not to be wondered that
they should then rise themselves and
endeavor to put the rule into the
hands which may secure to them the
ends for which government was first
erected The thought thus set forth
became in the text of the Declaration
hundred and ten years later: "Pru-
dence, indeed, will dictate that gov
ernments long established should not
be changed for light and transient
causes; and accordingly all expert
ence hath sheWn that mankind are
more disposed to suffer, while evils are
sufferable, than to right themselves
by abolishing the forms to which
they are accustomed. But when a
long train of abuses and usurpations,
pursuing invariably the same object,
evidence design to reduce them
under absolute despotism, it is their
right, 1t is their duty, to throw of
such government and to provide new
guards for their future security"
Whether or not it was Locke who
invented the axiom taxation with
out representation is tyranny" may
be matter of argument, but there
can be no question about his havirC
insisted that no government must
raise taxes on the property of the
people without the consent of the
people given by themselves or their
deputies the doctrine which In
spired the battle cry Of the rebellious
colonies.
Locke's whole career was a labor
for the public good. Born at Wiring
ton, in Somersetshire, August 29, 1882,
he died at Oates Manor in Essex,
October %, 17O4 His friends we're
the leading intellectuals of his time.
They rejoiced to be taught by him.
Such Americans now living as carry
his name in reverence do honor to
themselves. Without him, the i'm
mortal document adopted by the
Continental Congress at Philadel-
phia, July 4, 1776, would have been
other than it is.