Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-02-16

LAeno1a<h-AfnGA
try" Congress has not yet maae
the 18th of February natlohai
holiday, but the State Of Illinois mas
ione so, and each recurrence or the
day will, by formal public observance
serve to recall the example and the les
son furnished by the character anu
career of the great war president.
Opinions will always differ as to
which was the typical American,
Washington or Lincoln. Washington
was the product of the monarchy un-
der which he was born, and In spirit
as well as in fact, belonged to the arls-
tocracy. Lincoln was a child OF the
republic, and in the strictest sense
Ylan of the working classes. The one
possessing hereditary wealth ana the
graces of eminent social cuiture-the
other born to the inheritance OF nara
work, and from the age of seven to
seventeen years employed as sim
pie farm laborer-it would be difhcult
to find two men of more widely diner
emit spheres and characteristics. 10 IL
lustrate, is it possible to think OF
Washington. at midnight, dancing
about his chamber-with long, lean
legs protruding from an abbreviated
night gown-as Lincoln did when
Stanton carried him the news of Get
tysburg? Gen. Washington would have
srrayed himself in regimentals before
receiving the tidings; or he would have
said "Mr. Stanton, shall be in the
presidents Office tomorrow morning
at nine o'clock, if you have any com
munication to make" Yet as man
of affairs, pratical' statesman, charged
with the duties of a momentous time,
and in all that constitutes the highest
elements of character, Of personal
force, of perception of the thing to be
done, and of how and when to do 1t,
Lincoln was the peer OF any Of the
great leaders recorded in history. 1t
will always be the glory of this coun-
try that it could offer two such men as
Washington and Lincoln, who in
monarchal or aristocratic states could
never have reached the destiny for
which they were created.
Two years ago the venerable Han
nibal Hamlin, then the surviving
standard bearer of 1860" journeyed
from Bangor to New York, in spite Of
his eighty-one years, to attend the Lin
coin anniversary banquet. When COM
plimented by the toast-master. he re-
piled: 81 came here to testify to the
worth of Abraham Lincoln, and TO say
one thing only. We speak of the worth
and wisdom of George Washington.
We have a day set apart by congress
TO celebrate the memory of him, the
Father of his Country. Why not have
p day set apart to celebrate the Savior
Of his Country? Old as l am in years,
shame covers me when i see how dis
gracefully our senators have deserted
their duty. See that the birthday OF
Abraham Lincoln is made a national
holiday If the honored guest of that
occasion were still living he would re-
joice to know that this demand was
complied with by the state of Illinois,
the last legislature having passed
bill making Feb. IL, Lincon's birth
day, legal holiday. The occasion was
yariously honored in Chicago by Grand
Army posts and other civic organiza-
tions, and the Auditorium was filled
by an enthusiastic audience to listen to
the glowing periods of Robert G. In
gersoll over the achievements of the
great emancipation But making
day a legal holiday does not seem to
compel its observance in the least. All
places of business should be shut down
the same as on Sunday All public,
private and parochial schools should be
tlosed. Shops and factories should be
closed and employees thereof should not
be "docked' for loss of time by reason
of national holiday In fact, the only
thing in the way of making Washing
toms birthday and Lincoln's birthday