New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-14
LINCOLN.

We make our holidays all pretty much alike
Religious and secular joyous and mournful, they
are celebrated by the mass CT the people in the
same manner There is a more or less complete
suspension of business. there are extra matinees
NJ the theatres there are sports and games OF all
soasonabe kinds and there is n considerable
exodus of folk from the city for the day. few
men and women. here and there. get together
to consider the significance OF the occasion ana
10 commemorate it in manner suitable to It's
spccial. individual character. 1t is 10 he re-
grcttod no doubt, that far more do not do 50;
but it is not to be expected that they ever will,
or not by any one VINO accepts Matthew Arnods
theory of the saving rcmn@nt
The observance Of the anniversary of LinconS
Birthday is as yet new thing. and is confined
10 a few States In spite Of, or perhaps because
Of that fact il is frccr than most other holidays
from whatever roproach is conveyed in the cir
cumstances lust noted There was Il cOnsid-
cradle amount of thought and talk about Lin
coin on Friday last and some of it was uncom-
monty clear thought and convincing talk. And
that was as II should he For the only ade-
Ouate justification of the making Of this new
holiday IS that thus the people Of this Nation
shall be led TO a NOR dil'gent study of the char
actcr and career Of that illustrious man. and to
n more faithful living up to the standard OF
citizenship and public service set by him.
Perhaps Of all the many phases Of the man
none Is at this time more worthy of attention
than this that while he was essentially and con-
spcuously man Of the people. he was just as
essentially and conspcuousy free from even
suspicion of demagoglsm. This is especially 10
be borne in mind because be has of late been
spuriOusly quoted as dema@ogue by those who
have sought the lustro of his name to gid their
own dark schemes. Such attempts are As futile
rs they arc false He never trucklod nor pan
dered to unworthy prcjudiccs, nor sold the
truth 10 serve the hour: no, and would not
have done so had his election 10 the Presidency
dcppndcd upon It. He belonged 10 the so-called
masses but he never by single word or act
endcayorcC to arouse their antagonism against
the so-called classes. He was a poor man. hut
he neither expressed nor cherished envy OF the
rich The Socialist, the repudiatOr the rcy0hi-
ZIONIST can find no comfort for his cause in the
career of Lincoln.
This anniversary has TO some extent come to
be regarded as a Republican party day. as "Jack-
sons Day Is largely deemed a Democratic an
ulyersarv II is true that Lincoln was a Repub-
ucon. q sturdy, stalwart Republican, and would
still bo one were he alive to day. His policies
were Republican policies. Yet he was. in per-
haps n more complete sense than any other Pres
idcnt Of our later years. the head of the whole
Nation. without regard 20 party any more than
10 social class. He was a shining example or
an intense partisan who was Still more intense
parioi; and not the least Of his glorles Is this
| that. instead Of making the Nation vehicle for
/ the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and enrichment or his party,
he made his party organization for the service
and for the promotion Of the best interests Of
! the whole Nation.