The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-13
WOMEN PAY TRIBUTE
BIG MEETING IN LINCOLN's HONOR
HELD AT THE CAPITOL.
st. Anthony Park Branch of the
WOmen's Monument Association
Presented Fine Programme
Four Orators Delivered EuIogies
of the Martyred Abraham

Few fairer rhetorical bouquets have
even been laid on the bier of any hero
than were bestowed yesterday on Abra-
ham Lincoln. whose natal day was
suitably observed at the capitol yes
terday with appropriate exercises I'M
der the auspices of the ST. Anthony
Park Women's Monument association
The gardeners who culled these beau
ties from the fruitful garden of elo-
quent prose were Revs. NJ D. Shutter
and Sam G. Smith, Capt H A. Castle
and Prof. Maria L. Sanford
Mrs. A. r. McGill presided at the
meeting, which packed the house OF
representatives hall to the limit of its
capacity for one of the most interest
ing meetings yet held for the benefit
of the fund and for a local monument
to the heroes of the late war
After music by the Cecilian quartette,
Mrs. McGill introduced DR.. M D. Shut
ter, who was accredited with the adj
dress of the day. an eloquent eulogy of
the martyred president delivered with
simplicity Of style thoroughly in
keeping with the character of the
orators subject.
DR.. Shutter dwelt on the virtues of
the grand man who had come out of
the then wilds of the Middle West,
seemingly called by destiny God like
in its summons, to take the reins of a
great nation at a crisis in it's history
which bore his name down to immor-
tally.
The Quartette sang Home. Sweet
Home" and then Rev. Sam c. Smith
was introduced to speak on Lessons
From the Life OF Lincoln
Mr.. Smith said that where Washing
ton was the greatest of English men,
Lincoln was the grea test of Americans
The poverty of his early years was an
advantage in that it developed his
character through the most severe
course. His mastery literary style,
pronounced by London critics, after his
Gettysburg speech. an English classic,
was due to the fact that he had but
few books but those few Of the highest
literary value-Aesop's fables; the Pill
grim's Progress, the Bible and Shake
speare's plays. He was an elemental,
not a conventional man.
DR.. Smith said that Lincoln had Just
two women friends, his step mother,
who shared in his ambitions not less
royalty than woman might in the hopes
of her own Offspring. and his wife,
who believed in his future even more
hopefully than did he himself The
author in his youth OF a skeptical
book, he learned as he grappled with
the problems Of a race the needs of q
Divine being whose guidance he felt.
Dr. Smith quoted from one of his let
tiers to show that then as now the in
terests Of the laboring classes called
for his interest
After solo, Barbara Frietchie," by
Mrs. Colville, Prof. Sanford narrated
her "reminiscences of the day of Lin
coins assassination. and a memorable
visit to New York. where the remains,
lying in state, were visited by thou
sands during the day and all night
long.
She quoted the tribute paid after his
death by London Punch. which had
been mercileSs in it's caricatureS and
jeering ridicule.
Capt. Castle pleaded lack Of prepara-
ton in opening a short talk In which
he referred eloquently to the president.
whom he likened to Benjamin Franklin
in that they were superlatively useful
men in critical times. Capt Castle told
how sitting in Lincoln park at Wash
ingtOn he had observed the colered
people. and especially those who coulc
remember slavery days themselves,
dOff their hats in reverence as they
passed the heroic statue of the omar
cipatOr that graced the little plot. In
closing Capt. Castle said that Lincoln
was but one actor, a foremost actor
truly, in the great drama of his time,
a drama in which president. advisers.
soldiers. and all were moved by
Divine hand whose motive found ex-
preston and execution in the work Of
the grand men Of that time. He hoped
to see the day when every city. at least
every state capital. would be dotted
with statues of the nations heroes but
first of all. he believed. the patriotic
youth should be inspired by the famil-
lar sight of a monument to the rank
and file of the late war-the dead
soldiers
Gov. Clough ard a number of his
staff were conspicuous in the audience.