MJ, I do not save many posts but I will save this one. It is to the point.
On Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 4:05 PM, MJ <[email protected]> wrote: > > *Not Yours To Give > *Col. David Crockett > US Representative from Tennessee > > Originally published in "The Life of Colonel David Crockett," > > by Edward Sylvester Ellis > > One day in the House of Representatives a bill was taken up appropriating > money for the benefit of a widow of a distinguished naval officer. Several > beautiful speeches had been made in its support. The speaker was just about > to put the question when Crockett arose: > > "Mr. Speaker--I have as much respect for the memory of the deceased, and as > much sympathy for the suffering of the living, if there be, as any man in > this House, but we must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy > for part of the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of > the living. I will not go into an argument to prove that Congress has not > the power to appropriate this money as an act of charity. Every member on > this floor knows it. > > We have the right as individuals, to give away as much of our own money as > we please in charity; but as members of Congress we have no right to > appropriate a dollar of the public money. Some eloquent appeals have been > made to us upon the ground that it is a debt due the deceased. Mr. Speaker, > the deceased lived long after the close of the war; he was in office to the > day of his death, and I ever heard that the government was in arrears to > him. > > "Every man in this House knows it is not a debt. We cannot without the > grossest corruption, appropriate this money as the payment of a debt. We > have not the semblance of authority to appropriate it as charity. Mr. > Speaker, I have said we have the right to give as much money of our own as > we please. I am the poorest man on this floor. I cannot vote for this bill, > but I will give one week's pay to the object, and if every member of > Congress will do the same, it will amount to more than the bill asks." > > He took his seat. Nobody replied. The bill was put upon its passage, and, > instead of passing unanimously, as was generally supposed, and as, no doubt, > it would, but for that speech, it received but few votes, and, of course, > was lost. > > Later, when asked by a friend why he had opposed the appropriation, > Crockett gave this explanation: > > "Several years ago I was one evening standing on the steps of the Capitol > with some members of Congress, when our attention was attracted by a great > light over in Georgetown. It was evidently a large fire. We jumped into a > hack and drove over as fast as we could. In spite of all that could be done, > many houses were burned and many families made houseless, and besides, some > of them had lost all but the clothes they had on. The weather was very cold, > and when I saw so many children suffering, I felt that something ought to be > done for them. The next morning a bill was introduced appropriating $20,000 > for their relief. We put aside all other business and rushed it through as > soon as it could be done. > > "The next summer, when it began to be time to think about election, I > concluded I would take a scout around among the boys of my district. I had > no opposition there but, as the election was some time off, I did not know > what might turn up. When riding one day in a part of my district in which I > was more of a stranger than any other, I saw a man in a field plowing and > coming toward the road. I gauged my gait so that we should meet as he came > up, I spoke to the man. He replied politely, but as I thought, rather > coldly. > > "I began: 'Well friend, I am one of those unfortunate beings called > candidates and--- > > "Yes I know you; you are Colonel Crockett. I have seen you once before, and > voted for you the last time you were elected. I suppose you are out > electioneering now, but you had better not waste your time or mine, I shall > not vote for you again." > > "This was a sockdolger...I begged him tell me what was the matter. > > "Well Colonel, it is hardly worthwhile to waste time or words upon it. I do > not see how it can be mended, but you gave a vote last winter which shows > that either you have not capacity to understand the Constitution, or that > you are wanting in the honesty and firmness to be guided by it. In either > case you are not the man to represent me. But I beg your pardon for > expressing it that way. I did not intend to avail myself of the privilege of > the constituent to speak plainly to a candidate for the purpose of insulting > you or wounding you.' > > "I intend by it only to say that your understanding of the constitution is > very different from mine; and I will say to you what but for my rudeness, I > should not have said, that I believe you to be honest. > > But an understanding of the constitution different from mine I cannot > overlook, because the Constitution, to be worth anything, must be held > sacred, and rigidly observed in all its provisions. The man who wields power > and misinterprets it is the more dangerous the honest he is.' > > "I admit the truth of all you say, but there must be some mistake. Though I > live in the backwoods and seldom go from home, I take the papers from > Washington and read very carefully all the proceedings of Congress. My > papers say you voted for a bill to appropriate $20,000 to some sufferers by > fire in Georgetown. Is that true? > > "Well my friend; I may as well own up. You have got me there. But certainly > nobody will complain that a great and rich country like ours should give the > insignificant sum of $20,000 to relieve its suffering women and children, > particularly with a full and overflowing treasury, and I am sure, if you had > been there, you would have done just the same as I did.' > > "It is not the amount, Colonel, that I complain of; it is the principle. In > the first place, the government ought to have in the Treasury no more than > enough for its legitimate purposes. But that has nothing with the question. > The power of collecting and disbursing money at pleasure is the most > dangerous power that can be entrusted to man, particularly under our system > of collecting revenue by a tariff, which reaches every man in the country, > no matter how poor he may be, and the poorer he is the more he pays in > proportion to his means. > > What is worse, it presses upon him without his knowledge where the weight > centers, for there is not a man in the United States who can ever guess how > much he pays to the government. So you see, that while you are contributing > to relieve one, you are drawing it from thousands who are even worse off > than he. If you had the right to give anything, the amount was simply a > matter of discretion with you, and you had as much right to give $20,000,000 > as $20,000. > > If you have the right to give at all; and as the Constitution neither > defines charity nor stipulates the amount, you are at liberty to give to any > and everything which you may believe, or profess to believe, is a charity > and to any amount you may think proper. You will very easily perceive what a > wide door this would open for fraud and corruption and favoritism, on the > one hand, and for robbing the people on the other. 'No, Colonel, Congress > has no right to give charity.' > > "'Individual members may give as much of their own money as they please, > but they have no right to touch a dollar of the public money for that > purpose. If twice as many houses had been burned in this country as in > Georgetown, neither you nor any other member of Congress would have Thought > of appropriating a dollar for our relief. There are about two hundred and > forty members of Congress. If they had shown their sympathy for the > sufferers by contributing each one week's pay, it would have made over > $13,000. There are plenty of wealthy men around Washington who could have > given $20,000 without depriving themselves of even a luxury of life.' > > "The congressmen chose to keep their own money, which, if reports be true, > some of them spend not very creditably; and the people about Washington, no > doubt, applauded you for relieving them from necessity of giving what was > not yours to give. The people have delegated to Congress, by the > Constitution, the power to do certain things. To do these, it is authorized > to collect and pay moneys, and for nothing else. Everything beyond this is > usurpation, and a violation of the Constitution.' > > "'So you see, Colonel, you have violated the Constitution in what I > consider a vital point. It is a precedent fraught with danger to the > country, for when Congress once begins to stretch its power beyond the > limits of the Constitution, there is no limit to it, and no security for the > people. I have no doubt you acted honestly, but that does not make it any > better, except as far as you are personally concerned, and you see that I > cannot vote for you.' > > "I tell you I felt streaked. I saw if I should have opposition, and this > man should go to talking and in that district I was a gone fawn-skin. I > could not answer him, and the fact is, I was so fully convinced that he was > right, I did not want to. But I must satisfy him, and I said to him: > > "Well, my friend, you hit the nail upon the head when you said I had not > sense enough to understand the Constitution. I intended to be guided by it, > and thought I had studied it fully. I have heard many speeches in Congress > about the powers of Congress, but what you have said here at your plow has > got more hard, sound sense in it than all the fine speeches I ever heard. If > I had ever taken the view of it that you have, I would have put my head into > the fire before I would have given that vote; and if you will forgive me and > vote for me again, if I ever vote for another unconstitutional law I wish I > may be shot.' > > "He laughingly replied; 'Yes, Colonel, you have sworn to that once before, > but I will trust you again upon one condition. You are convinced that your > vote was wrong. Your acknowledgment of it will do more good than beating you > for it. If, as you go around the district, you will tell people about this > vote, and that you are satisfied it was wrong, I will not only vote for you, > but will do what I can to keep down opposition, and perhaps, I may exert > some little influence in that way.' > > "If I don't, said I, 'I wish I may be shot; and to convince you that I am > in earnest in what I say I will come back this way in a week or ten days, > and if you will get up a gathering of people, I will make a speech to them. > Get up a barbecue, and I will pay for it.' > > "No, Colonel, we are not rich people in this section but we have plenty of > provisions to contribute for a barbecue, and some to spare for those who > have none. The push of crops will be over in a few days, and we can then > afford a day for a barbecue. 'This Thursday; I will see to getting it up on > Saturday week. Come to my house on Friday, and we will go together, and I > promise you a very respectable crowd to see and hear you. > > "'Well I will be here. But one thing more before I say good-bye. I must > know your name." > > "'My name is Bunce.' > > "'Not Horatio Bunce?' > > "'Yes > > "'Well, Mr. Bunce, I never saw you before, though you say you have seen me, > but I know you very well. I am glad I have met you, and very proud that I > may hope to have you for my friend.' > > "It was one of the luckiest hits of my life that I met him. He mingled but > little with the public, but was widely known for his remarkable > intelligence, and for a heart brim-full and running over with kindness and > benevolence, which showed themselves not only in words but in acts. He was > the oracle of the whole country around him, and his fame had extended far > beyond the circle of his immediate acquaintance. Though I had never met him, > before, I had heard much of him, and but for this meeting it is very likely > I should have had opposition, and had been beaten. One thing is very > certain, no man could now stand up in that district under such a vote. > > "At the appointed time I was at his house, having told our conversation to > every crowd I had met, and to every man I stayed all night with, and I found > that it gave the people an interest and confidence in me stronger than I had > ever seen manifested before. > > "Though I was considerably fatigued when I reached his house, and, under > ordinary circumstances, should have gone early to bed, I kept him up until > midnight talking about the principles and affairs of government, and got > more real, true knowledge of them than I had got all my life before." > > "I have known and seen much of him since, for I respect him - no, that is > not the word - I reverence and love him more than any living man, and I go > to see him two or three times every year; and I will tell you, sir, if every > one who professes to be a Christian lived and acted and enjoyed it as he > does, the religion of Christ would take the world by storm. > > "But to return to my story. The next morning we went to the barbecue and, > to my surprise, found about a thousand men there. I met a good many whom I > had not known before, and they and my friend introduced me around until I > had got pretty well acquainted - at least, they all knew me. > > "In due time notice was given that I would speak to them. They gathered up > around a stand that had been erected. I opened my speech by saying: > > "Fellow-citizens - I present myself before you today feeling like a new > man. My eyes have lately been opened to truths which ignorance or prejudice > or both, had heretofore hidden from my view. I feel that I can today offer > you the ability to render you more valuable service than I have ever been > able to render before. I am here today more for the purpose of acknowledging > my error than to seek your votes. That I should make this acknowledgment is > due to myself as well as to you. Whether you will vote for me is a matter > for your consideration only." > > "I went on to tell them about the fire and my vote for the appropriation > and then told them why I was satisfied it was wrong. I closed by saying: > > "And now, fellow-citizens, it remains only for me to tell you that the most > of the speech you have listened to with so much interest was simply a > repetition of the arguments by which your neighbor, Mr. Bunce, convinced me > of my error. > > "It is the best speech I ever made in my life, but he is entitled to the > credit for it. And now I hope he is satisfied with his convert and that he > will get up here and tell you so.' > > "He came up to the stand and said: > > "Fellow-citizens - it affords me great pleasure to comply with the request > of Colonel Crockett. I have always considered him a thoroughly honest man, > and I am satisfied that he will faithfully perform all that he has promised > you today.' > > "He went down, and there went up from that crowd such a shout for Davy > Crockett as his name never called forth before.' > > "I am not much given to tears, but I was taken with a choking then and felt > some big drops rolling down my cheeks. And I tell you now that the > remembrance of those few words spoken by such a man, and the honest, hearty > shout they produced, is worth more to me than all the honors I have received > and all the reputation I have ever made, or ever shall make, as a member of > Congress.' > > "Now, sir," concluded Crockett, "you know why I made that speech yesterday. > "There is one thing which I will call your attention, "you remember that I > proposed to give a week's pay. There are in that House many very wealthy men > - men who think nothing of spending a week's pay, or a dozen of them, for a > dinner or a wine party when they have something to accomplish by it. Some of > those same men made beautiful speeches upon the great debt of gratitude > which the country owed the deceased--a debt which could not be paid by > money--and the insignificance and worthlessness of money, particularly so > insignificant a sum as $20,000 when weighed against the honor of the nation. > Yet not one of them responded to my proposition. Money with them is nothing > but trash when it is to come out of the people. But it is the one great > thing for which most of them are striving, and many of them sacrifice honor, > integrity, and justice to obtain it." > > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. > -- Mark M. Kahle H. -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
