Lebanon Democratic Blog

When you were in school did you ever wonder why you had to learn all that history? Rick Barber, a Republican candidate for Congress in Alabama, is a perfect example of why history is important. He has a video on his campaign site which attempts to connect his campaign to the Founders of this country. Apparently, Mr. Barber was not paying attention in history class. Of course is he went to school in Alabama who know what he might have been taught about American history.

Barber’s video has him talking to three actors playing President Washington, Samuel Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. He rails against the IRS, progressive income tax, and tyrannical government repressing small business. He calls Sam Adams a brewer and Washington a distiller—obviously they would understand his point of view.

Leave aside the fact that Samuel Adams was not a brewer (for a time he worked in his family’s malt business). Mr Barber has been watching to many TV commercials for Sam Adams Beer.

He is correct that George Washington had a distillery. Most plantations and large farms in early America has one. The ad has the Washington character saying “Gather your armies,” when Barber asks them “Are you with me?”

Where Mr. Barber goes off the track is he assumes Washington would rise up in rebellion if the government taxed small businesses. If you payed attention in history class you know exactly what Washington would do, in fact what he did, when distillers resisted paying taxes to the central government.

In 1794 the federal government needed revenue and imposed a tax on distilled spirits. The farmers in western Pennsylvania and other places resisted the tax. It was called the Whiskey Rebellion. What did President Washington do? He sent the Army to suppress the rebellion and arrest rebels. It was the only time in American history when the President lead troops in the field.

Unfortunately for Mr. Barber if President Washington said “raise your armies” it would be to crush the tax rebellion not to support it. If you do not know history you make stupid statements where the facts are well known. It would be less embarrassing if he had not raised the issue of taxes on distilleries.

Of course, Mr Barber says his commercial is misunderstood. “They need to not look so deep into things,” Barber said, “It’s definitely not an inciteful call to arms.” Maybe it isn’t, but if you are going to claim the Founders support your cause make sure history is on your side.