The record-union., 1898-02-13

/ burning shame that matters hay,
reached such a pass with us that sin
cerity and devotion to the public wea
in the ordinary politician should be
deemed incredible virtues We conf
IDENTIFY believe a better time awaits; us
The era of better citizenship we fondl.
hope is not distant When Christian
citizenship shall rule with the masse:
statesmen OF the Lincoln type will .bt
the rule and not the sore exception
Bishop Nj. X Ninde.
THE MAN OF PRAYER IN DARK
EST HOURS
| Abraham Lincoln was a man of pray.
CT. He was accustomed in the darkes
| times of the war TO inquire of the Lord
and 10 pray for the success of our arm
| SIS He believed that the cause was
right and just and that God was on oul
/ side, or rather that we We're on God:
side" in that tremendous struggle
Bishop Simpson was a frequent visitor
at the White House. He was con
stantly making speeches for the Unior
and sustaining the administration il
every possible way
One day 1 met him on a train and ile
told me that he had been to see ths
| President and was most cordially re-
ceived. While they were talking Hr
Lincoln suddenly arose and went to tbs
door and locked it, and, returning. said
Bishop Simpson. I feel the need ol
prayer. Will you pray for me and fol
! the country? They knelt together
and the Bishop poured out his soul te
God for His blessing to rest upon the
President and upon the Government
and q ft,ot xyiotn
and peace might soon be won. Al
through the prayer Mr.. Lincoln fer
vently responded.
This was not made public until the
war was over 1t is an incident in The
life OF Mr.. Lincoln which has not been
widely published Mr. Lincoln was very
reticent upon his own religious ex-
perience, but those who knew him best
are certain of the fact that he was a
man of importunate and prevailing
prayer--Bishop Charles c. McCabe.
THOROUGH POLITICIAN BUT AN
| HONEST ONE
Mr.. Lincoln was thorough politician
IN the best sense of the term He
recognized the imperative need of par
ties in American political affairs He
| dld all in his power to build up the
great party which he SO ably represent
ed, the party of freedom, of enlighten-
ed craftsmanship, of national honor,
and progress.
| But he was an honest politician His
honesty was entirely compatible with
| a strong personal desire to fill the
| highest position within the gift of
man. Honesty and lawful ambition
are not contraries. Mr.. Lincoln never
stopped to the packing of primaries to
the buying and selling Of votes, to bar
gaining with the men of influence by
promising them Office.
BY the very laws of human action he
was constrained to reward his support
ers with places of trust and profit. Hon
est politics does not forbid this. 1t
is not necessary TO go to the length Of
the motto ITO the victors belong the
spoils' in affirming the principle No
matter under what name a political
| movement may be carried on. it cam
not help becoming party movement.
There must be an organization. There
must be prominent men within it. There
must be wheels within wheels, and iE
all probability there will be a wheel
within all the Wheels and a living splr-
it within that wheel to move all the
rest. Therefore there will be "a ma
| chine 1t is senseless TO cry ou:
against machine simply as ma
chine. Work cannot be done without
the human hand or machinery which
stands for the hand. Political work
must be done by political machine.
But we need the right kind of a ma
chine, or of men composing it, We
want men who will not be on the look
out perpetually for their own selfish
ends. We want men filled with the
spirit Of patriotism and of incorrupt-
ible honesty, like Abraham Lincoln, ito
run the machine Good citizens
ought to become parts of such ma
chane. They ought to refuse abso-
| lutely to be controlled by men whom
they do not personally respect or in
whom they have no genuine political
confidence
They cannot win unless they are or
ganized into party / fully believe
the best party ever compacted together
was that one thrilled and inspired by
the grandly principled personality of
! Lincoln. If kept to high ideals. / be-
| lfeve it to be the party best prepared
/ to carry on the American Republic to
| Samuel Fallows
HIS GENTLENESS. STRENGTH
| AND LOVE.
1T is good to talk of our past hours"
And the voices of the nations heroes
| should never die out of the nations
head. When a nations young men
have no high ideals hung up in their
sky, toll the funeral bell. That nation
! is doomed.
The lessons from Lincoln's life that
should be kept clear to the sight and
heart of each generation are not far
to seek.
For one thing his life is sgnally IL
| Illustrative of the age-long truth tina
| human progress is at cost The his
tory OF progress is the history of strug-
gle and heartache. i. is by bitter
| tears and death. knowledge by suf-
| fering entereth'' Private monopolv.
| the tyranny of custom. sectional pref
udice, lust of power With religious big
otry. and lust of power with political
bigotry-;hese all stand in the way of
progress and reform. And these will
hiss and spring and sting. if they can.
A rabble is collected To mob the new
| idea that comes 10 society with healing
on its wings. Each great truth OF re-
formation is planted With blood
Lincoln declared the nation could not
endure half slave and half free. He
stood for freedom. And slavery mur.
dered him. Apostles have always been
| stoned. Prophets heralding new
era, have always been sawn asunder.
If our young men are to climb the Lin
coln nights of reforming manhood, they
must needs face the possibility, if not