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About Corvallis daily gazette. (Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon) 1909-1909 | View Entire Issue (June 2, 1909)
V SN. Ceateoary of Thomas Paine Illustrious FoSitical Agita tor Whose Admirers Will Soon Meet at Kis Tomb In New Rochelle to Celebrate the One 'Hundredth Anni versary of His Birth. -:- The Apostle of Liberty In Three Lands Who Origi nated Many Humanitari an Movements Deemed "True Author of the Decla ration of Independence." By JAMES A. EDGER.TON. THIS is centenary year. It Is the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Lincoln, Darwin, Glad . stone, Tennyson, Poe, Holmes, Fitzgerald and many more almost as illustrious. It likewise measures the completed century following one nota ble death, that of Thomas Paine, who breathed his . last in the city of New York on June S, 1809. On Saturday; afternoon, June 5, many societies and Individuals from New York and other cities will journey to the Paine m'onu ment at New Rochelle, N. Y., to cele brate the event. There will also be services by the Brooklyn Philosophical association and many other bodies both ia the United States and in Europe. ; ' The misunderstanding of Paine is rapidly passing away. It is now rec ognized that his religious views were no more radical than those of modern Unitarians and other sects, and his un questioned services for political and intellectual liberty, his - conspicuous ; army Paine started a subscription list by heading it with his whole years salary, $500, and succeeded in raising a million and a half and starting a colonial bank. Yet he was a poor mail. At another crisis he -planned a trip to France to procure a loan, accompa nied Colonel Laurens, who was sent on the , mission, and brought back the money. In the French Revolution. When the king fled from Paris at the beginning of the French revolu tion Paine with others issued a circu lar, placarded Paris and aroused the French capital as - he - had before aroused America. His "Rights of Man" had a phenom enal sale throughout England, and the younger Pitt Eaid that if it had not been suppressed it would have resulted In a' revolution there. The peaceful reforms that came later in England were from the seeds then sown. With Condorcet he wrote the first works for human rights in three ands, ! French constitution. and especially in the United States, the country of his adoption, deserve gener ous recognition. The changed attitude toward him has been shown in many ways, notably by the acceptance of his -. Perhaps the most sublime act of his life was in opposing the' sending of King Louis to the scaffold. "Kill the monarchy, but spare the man!" was his cry. Yet he knew that by this act he RICHARDS' STATUE OF THOMAS PAINE AND HIM AS A YOUNG MAN. A MINIATURE OF statue in Independence hall and gen- would endanger his own life.. As a erally by the more kindly treatment of ( matter of fact, Paine was thrown Into him throughout the world. The case prison for eleven months and escaped of New Rochelle is typical. That city the guillotine only through a thalk has not only accepted his monument, mark on the wrong side of his door, placing it in the center of the old road For this arch democrat to risk his own Jh.at led up to his house, which it calls , nfe to save that of a friendless and Paine avenue, but the Huguenot Asso- ( dethroned king strikes me as the finest elation of New Rochelle has moved his piece of heroism seen in modern times, house to its park near his grave and j These are ttlt the beginning of will convert it into a museum of his-, nhnmaa T9no,a aervw tn hnmnnitv. " torical relics. Forecasted Modern Reforms. Throughout most 6f the adult period of his seventy-two years of life he was i Thomas Paine first suggested Ameri-1 working for the advancement of man can independence. j in some quarter of the world. By his writings and otherwise he" I Perhaps the greatest service of all, powerfully aided the Revolution. 'the credit of which he unselfishly gave He first suggested the federal union to another, was in writing the Deciara of the states. He first proposed the abolition of negro slavery. He first suggested protection for dumb animals. He first proposed arbitration and In ternational peace. He first suggested equal rights for women. He pointed out the reality of human brotherhood. ' - . : He first proposed old age pensions. He first suggested international copy right. He first suggested the education of poor children at public expense. He suggested a great republic of all the nations of the world. In addition to these, several of his services almost as notable occur to my own memory: - He wrote for liberty in three lands and never took a cent for any of his writingf! .. Not only so, but he claimed no credit, putting out a great part -of his Tvork nnotymotisly. i All .historians agree that his 'Com mon Sense" converted the colonies - to Independence. ' - . .. While a conawn soldier in the army he "wrote spirited numbers of' "The Crisis" that were read at the heads of the- regiments and have been described as "half battles." . When he. was secretary of the Penn sylvania assembly and there was no money to buy food for Washington's tlon of Independence. After careful study of the subject I have absolutely no doubt that Paine was the actual author of this document. : Several years ago, writing under a nom de plume, I gave my reasons for believing this. For the most part they were arguments that had already been advanced by William Henry Burr and Van Buren Denslow, and there is not space to give them In detail here. One was that a paper In Newark, N. J, in 1802 practically said that Paine wrote the Declaration. Jefferson never claim ed to be the author till just before his death, years after Paine was dead. The style Is unquestionably that of Paine, the wwrds, manner of writing, views on slavery, on taxation, on deity, on government, on liberty, on the Scotch and on many other subjects be ing those of Taine rather than Jeffer son; There are several stock phrases that unquestionably show Paine's ear marks. In, addition to all these evi dences, there 'is one that I discovered myself, the rise of the word "hath'' in the Declaration. Jefferson never used that 'word in his life: Paine used it habitually. ' ' ' . Since writing.-- tnnt articla I have read a convincing argument i:i support of Paine's authorship in a book issued anonymously,, but "which I have re cently . learned" was written by" Joel Moody of Kansas. - I had few doubts on, the, subject before. After reading that book I have none at all. I have Space to refer to bnt' one of Moody's' telling points. It consists in quoting both Paine's and Jefferson's ideas of a proper prouunciamentp before the Dec laration was issued. In style, , in thought, in arrangement and in every possible way Jefferson's statement is utterly different from the Declaration of Independence. On the other hand, Paine six months before the Declara tion was adopted said that such a doc ument should be given out. Not only, so. but he Set forth the four grand di visions that shouldrbe Included In the instrument and gave these in the ex act order afterward found in the Dec laration itself. - -;- - , The tradition of the -authorship of this charter of American liberty is as follows: Paine's "Common Sense" ap peared about six months before the adoption of the Declaration of Inde pendence. During this time it is known that he worked incessantly for inde pendence. He was so ardent that he drafted a tentative paper that might be used by the congress as a reason for the step. Of this his friend Jeffer-. son knew and used it as the basis of the reclaratlon when he came to draw it up. Not being a member of con gress and because of his friendship for Jefferson, Paine never claimed the au thorship. . Expert Opinions on Authorship. That Paine assisted .Jefferson in writing the Declaration or actually penned a tentative draft for him is now accepted by most students. The New York Herald in , a - recent half page review of a new. twelve volume edition of Paine's works and life says: ''Then when Paine was editor of the Pennsylvania Magazine he wrote a paper called 'A Serious Thought' which was the Declaration of Inde pendence in embryo. Indeed, Paine is said to have assisted Jefferson in drawing up the first draft of the Dec laration itself. 'It has been epigram matically said of .him that even if he did not write it he was its author." . Albert Paysoh Terhune in the New York World, using as a basis an arti cle written by myself," gives a review of the argument that is strongly in favor of Paine. He does not abso lutely commit himself, but says: , "Though the evidence may or may not be 'conclusive,' it is at least inter esting and has found many support ers." - - - - ' William Cobbett, the famous Eng lish . member , of parliament and re former, puts the case thus: - "Jefferson and some others have had the credit of ; being the authors of the Declaration of Independence of Amer ica. Either of them for aught I know may have written it, but Paine was its author." . Thaddeus Burr Wakeman, who is perhaps the most thorough student of Paine now living, states: , '' "The claim of some that Paine made a first draft. .of a 'declaration' for the pen of "Jefferson and a plan of the flag for the needle f . Betty Ross is not improbable, for he was certainly an active and Inspiring man In Philadel phia during these fateful sis months." For a World Republic. Mr. Wakeman, who regards Paine's ideas as still ! very live factors in the progress of democracy and)f liberal ism throughout the world,, gives the five great objects of Paine's life as fol lows: (1) American independence; (2) the modern democratic , republic; .(3) the American federal union ana "na tion;" (4)- "the religion of humanity;" (5) the republic of man" and of the world. 1 In an adequate consideration of 'the work of Thomas Paine several further facts should be considered: He was. introduced to the United States by a letter from Benjamin Franklin. ' ,- - . . - ' Thomas Jefferson was admittedly a disciple of Paine and sent a war ves sel to France to - bring him back to America. , ' .. .. ," '- Washington avowed, In effect, that Paine had converted him to the cause of independence. . Paine's services were considered so valuable to the United States that he was voted large sums of money and two farms. r i Among the other forms he favored was the abolition of dueling. He was so popular in France that, although a foreigner, he was plmul- taneously elected by several different constituencies to represent them In the national convention. He advised with Napoleon about the Invasion of England and had the in vasion been made was : to: have writ ten a new constitution for England. He was born a Quaker and was in reality a most . religious man. The "Age of Reason," which raised the theological storm against him, was written to combat French atheism and at a time wheh Paine momentarily ex pected death from the guillotine. Thomas Paine has been frequently called the greatest political writer that ever lived. Some of . his sentences have passed into the common speech of the world-for example; "These are the times "that try men's souls," and "The world is my country, to do good my religion." . . -,. j It is known that Abraham Lincoln was an admirer of Paine and read him with avidity in his early years. Lincoln's Ideas of democracy and lib erty are very ' like : those of Paine. Their views of religion were not dis similar, as would be universally ac knowledged If the popular misconcep tions or Fame's : real notions were swept aside. ,"' ? It sometimes requires a century or more for the world to come to a just estimate of its benefactors, but at last the scale is balanced, as it now is be ing balanced for Thomas Paine, the trua author of the Declaration of In dependence and the apostle of liberty in three lands. ' : Hawley .Helping Coos Harbor Representative Hawley v con ferred with the Chief of Eng- Qeers with aview of saving the inexpended balance . of the ppropriation for Coos Bay mounting to about. $22,000.' It lias been feared this money, if not expended before June 30, would be turned back into the reasury. Inasmuch as Con gress last session authorized the use of this money in the op era tion of the new dredge at Coos Bay, Hawley contends that that action was equivalent to r ex propriation and therefore the money . is subject to use. any me during the next fiscal year, The engineers are inclined to. accept Hawley,s view and will submit the question to the Trea sury Department for a ruling. How BertR. Lean, of Chenev, Wash., was saved from a frightful death is a story toi thrill the world' "A bad cold." he writes, "brought on a desperate lung trouble that baffled an expert doctor here. - Then. I paid $10 to $15 a visit to lung specialist in Spokane, who did not help me. Then I went' to California but without benefit. At last I used Dr. King's New Discovery, which complete ly cured me and now I am as well as ever." For Lung Trouble. Bronchitis. Coughs and Colds, . Asthma, Croup and Whooping Cough it's supreme. 50c and $1.00. Trial bottle free. Guaranteed by all'druggfots.' : - - BOEN. To Mrs. Fort, at the Pres- now p'.ace, 3 miles east of Corvallis, a boy. Daily Gazette 50 cents per month. ' A Thrilling Rescue. - . .," The Best Paint . There is no betterpaint made for appearance and . ! durability than Acens Qualify Paim u'. Specially prepared for exterior and interior use. "FLOOR VARNISH THAT WEARS" WALL PAPER AND PAINT STORE Second Street, Near Palace Theater WOODS BROTHERS GENERAL REPAIR SHOP Prompt attention given to rerairing all kinds of gasoline en gines, autos. bicycles. Plows and axes sharnened. - Saws filed. All work guaranteed satisfactory and done on short notice- Give us a call. We can please you. Located back of Beal Bros-' blacksmith shop on Second . street. Phone No. 3145 Ind.- Woods Brothers C0RVL60N Occidental Lumber Co. Successors to Corvallis Lumber Co. We are here to supply your needs in the Lumber line. Please call oh J. B IRVING for inf jrmation and prices. And take notice that if we have not got exactly what you want we will get it 'for you. G. O. B ASSET, Local Mgr. HYDRAULIC WELL 1 Pswerful and rapid well ma- cMns rm by gassilns engine. ! Wind mill pump repairing, and drove wells a ' specialty, j Tiace your orders now before the season's rush work is on. A. N. HAH LAN Box 526 , Corvallis, Oregon i m munw Lumuer Co. 1 Manufacturers of all kinds of a Fir Linger, Mouldings, Cedar Posts, 1 Sawed and Split. 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