River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-03-11
Lincoln Defines Democracy.

Lincoln Defines Democracy.
"On the 18th of November. thirty
three years ago, great concourse of
people gathered an a Pennsylvania hill
side and overran the cleared wheat fields
adjoining. All about them were the
fresh evidences of mighty conflict
leveled fences. demolished buildings.
dismounted guns, trees torn and blast
ed, and on every side the newly turned
earth in broken pillows, marked the
places where rested the uncounted
dead. A tall form lowered above the
multitude, and all eyes were turned
toward a face, plain and careworn to
sadness. A deeper stiffness fell upon
them, as those immortal words were
borne to their expectant ears, on that
gray November day:
| We here highly resolve til II these dead shall
not have died IN vain; that this Nation under
| God, shall have new birth of freedom and that
the government OF the people, by the people and
for the people shall not perish from the earth.
The government of the people, by
the people and for the people, Ii was
reserved for this highest product of
the American Republicans embodied
spirit of all the nobility and simplicity,
all the wisdom and sentiment, all the
courage and patience, all the serious
earneStness and quaint humor. all the
fear of God and faith in the plain peo-
pie, in American character, to immor-
taliZe at once the profOundness and
most philosophical. yet simplest and
most popular definition of American
democracy ever uttered. How dear to
us then were those words? How deep
ly they laid hold of our national life?
What sacrifices we were freely making
for that kind government? How
ready were we to give our fortunes.
mortgage our future, march our brave
men to battle, blot out our individual
homes and hopes. clothe the dead in
glory and the living in mourning-all
to preserve a government of the peo-
ple by the people and for the people?
Who then would have believed that
before generation of time should
pass this would gradually become
government of the people, by the ma
chine and for the machine.
People Too Busy for Politics.
1T was but natural that sense of
deep security, should follow the sue
cessful termination of the war of the
Union. The government which had
withstood rebellion had nothing to
fear in peace. There remained but to
restore the waste places. revive dor
mant industries, return to the shops
and farms, and quicken the hating
pace of trade and commerce. Nothing re-
CURED the good citizens attention but
the material affairs of the nation. The
fires never went out in the furnaces,
the factories ran day and night, inven-
tion awoke like young giant from his
sleep, the merchant drove his bargains,
. h Hon I.., hi h,sa 60
the scholar shut himself in his study
the farmer was early and late in his
| fields, the music of industry and pros
perity flied the land. Few men had
time for the small affair of politics.
To turn aside from the hot pursuit of
| fortune, to ignore the pressing calls in
ones profession, to let business go for
| politics, was not to be considered for
one moment. IL came to be regarded
as great personal sacrifice, emitting
| one to much commentator for public
| spirit, to close the office and shop and
| factory and store for single day that
! The votes might be cast and counted.
/ After time changes came in to
disturb the even flow of business pros
perity. Something was wrong some
where. Surely the fault must be with
the administration; and 1t occurred to
The good citizen to inquire who had
ieen attending to the business of gov
ernment all these years.
Doctrine of Practical Politics Pro-
| claimed.
when the business man, the
scholar the farmer, the artisan, awoke
to the importance of participating in
municipal, state and federal politics
they were amazed to find that a new
force occupied the field and assumed
the right to control This new force
sneered at their ideas as theoretical,
and proclaimed the doctrine of pnac-
teal politics. They were indignant
This government belonged to the peo-
lple. Every man had equal rights,
equal responsibilities and should have
equal voice in making and executing
the laws. The people were in the ma
jority, they would not submit to &c
tatior by mere political cabal. They
would contest the field with the prac-
teal politicians. The merchant left
his store, the workman his bench, the
farmer his harvest fields, and came
forth to assert the sacred rights of a
majority. At the close of the day they
| found themselves beaten at every
II - all