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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1973-01-24, Page 247ABL,sau) .4172 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 e Ed iron n, sl coal e in: the oard ''In unicr nth a a 11 She the ma augu] ere ins ; She ugura and I hich eetin ated hool eater uncil ets fc ver tl