HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1973-01-24, Page 247ABL,sau)
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Brussels Post
BRUSSELS
Clir4R 0
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 1973
Serving Brussels and the surrounding community
published each Wednesday afternoOn at Brussels, Ontario
by McLean Bros. Publishers, Limited.
Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Torn Haley - Advertising
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Assoc.ation.
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $4.00 a year, Others
$5.00 a year, Single Copies 10 cents each.
Second class mail Registration No. 0562.
Telephone 887-6641.
A well deserved
retirement
The retirement of Hon.Charles
MacNaughton as member for Huron,
will provide a well earned rest for
one who has been diligent in his
concern for his riding.
Charlie MacNaughton not only
has served. Huron well but in the
process has brought honor to the
people of the riding in a degree
which few other ridings in Ontario
have enjoyed.
While with his colleagues in
the several governments of which he
was member, he has espoused policies
that properly drew criticism, these
associations in no way detracted
from the conscientious manner in
which he represented the people of
Huron. He has been a good member.
An indication of his capacity
is the fact that during his years •in
government he has occupied nine dif-
ferent.portfolios - more than any
other minister in the history of the
province. Premier Davis quite pro-
perly 'referred to him as one who
would be remembered for his humanity,
his humility, his sense of honor and
of honesty, for his vision and his
loyalty.
Always a party man, his inate
.fairness, however, led him to reject
anything of a mean or small' nature.
He was held in high esteem equally
by tho.se in his own party as well as
by those in the opposition.
During his long career Mr. Mac-
Naughton has remained aloof and has
been removed from those re-occurring
embarrassments which have plagued
recent Conservative governments. In-
deed the retirement to which he
looked forward might have come sooner
had he not agaln been pressed into a
more active role on the occasion of
.the difficulties faced by Mr. McKeogh,
his predecessor as provincial trea-
surer.
The people of Huron will join
in wishing him well in his retire-
ment with the hope that he and his
family may have many years together
freed from the pressures of public.
life.
(The Huron Expositor)
"Jii§t, dogs, Hooper,"
• ••••••••41. ...,.....*.a.....•,............--,-............o....................
Sugar and Spice
by Bill Smiley
Is there. anything new under the sun,
despite the old adage? Not much.
I've just been reading a 124-year old
essay by Henry David Thoreau, and it could
have been written last week by anybody
•who dislikes, nay; despises government
and what it stands for.
The , author says that that govern-
nient is; best which governs least. Many
Canadians, -who are sick to death of
government and its agents poking their
inquisitive snouts into every aspect of
the individual's life, would agree heartily.
Most businessmen would not only con-
cur, but would raise a cheer for the
sentiments expressed., Ask any man who
runs a small business,, if you want to get
a blistered ear, .what he thinks of govern-
ment.
Thoreau suggests that the first purpose
of any government is not to seek out and
abolish injustice, but to perpetuate itself.
Ask any realistic politician, and he'll
agree.
we should not necessarily cultivate a
respect for the law, but for what is right,
says Thoreau. He uses the illustration of
an undue respect for the law ; of soldiers
marching to war against their common
sense and consciences. This has been
happening for years in Viet Nam.
There are three types of men, he
says. First are those who unquesiion-
ingly serve the state with their bodies,
such as soldiers. Next are thoSe Who serve
the state with their minds - politicians;
lawyers, office-holders - but net with
their consciences. Finally there are the
very few - martyrs ; reformerS, patriots
in the real, sense - who serve it with
their consciences also, and are commonly
treated as enemies by it..
The triggers for Thoreau's essay was
his strong diSapprOVal. of the American
government of his day on two itsues, the
Mexican War and sia.veryi The Mexi-
can 'War was one of flagrant aggress
sten in which the Americans moved in
and conquered vast territories in the
southwest:
(It has always beets. source' of pleasure
to me i When Arriericans decry British
c' Colonialism'' to remind them Of 'Cuba,
Puerto iticoHawaii the Philippines,.
Pg.narna and, Teka: They have don-,
veniently forgotten, in roost cases; that
many of theSe "acquisitions;' were
a result of direct arid violent conquest.)
Thoreau spoke openly of revolution.
"Whe n a sixth of the population Of a
nation which has undertaken to be the
refuge of liberty are slave's, and a Whole
country (Texas) is unjustly overrun and
conquered by a foreign army (U.S.) I
think it is not too soon for honest men
to rebel and revolutionize."
Isn't the situation almOst exactly the
same today? Blacks are not legal slaves;
but they are economic ones, North
Viet Nam was not exactly overrun, but
not for want q trying.
And what would happen to Thoreaii
if he expressed such sentiments today?
Probably not much ; because there is a
• growing, swelling anger against the stupid
war among Americans of all walks of
life. •
But if he'd said it ten .years ago? or
in the era of Joe McCarthy? He'd likely
have lost his job, been haraSsed by the
CIA and/or FBI, attacked by some seg..;
ments of the press, and generally driven
like a fox before hounds.
It speaks much for the growing lack
of. freedom in the U.S. (and elsewhere)
that nothing serious happened to Thoreau at
all, when he uttered these inflammatory
remarks. '
He did spend one night in jail, when
he refused to pay his poll tax, on the
basis that his dollar might buy either a
man or a musket tO shoot one with. But
somebody paid his fine, and he was
released.
Today we have the prospect Of men
Spending years in jail because. they re-
fuse to go against' their consciences. We
ha.Ve thonsand8 of U,S, draft-dodgers in
Canada, forsaking their horde and native,
land for the reasons of common sense (who -
wants to be killed?) or conscience.
Jban Baez, the folk-Singer, and anti-
war individual, tried to take a similar
stand 'by refusing to 'pay her income tax,
The gOVernitient merely deducted it at
source, from the record companies whO
paid her royalties. .
Thoreau advocated that ; if there were
an iitaitt law, We should break it. What
do you think'?,
What would happen to an ordinary
Canadian who said ; "I will pay to have
my garbage collected and the streets'
repaired. But I Will net pay One penny
for "national defence". l don't want
Welfare, inierriployinont
medicare S6 I Won't pay a nickel tO-
Ward them."?
The answer is AN/fat-So That bold
Canadian would spent the' rest of his
life in' the law courts, being punighed
by tihig" government,. instead of being
allowed the sensible 'alterative
of opting out,
Life IS too nett. But are we being
governed to death?' Oh, for' a IOW
ThOreaUS in these timid dayi.
Mr
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