The San Francisco call., 1899-09-12
LINCOLN ON MONARCHY.

I N his speech in this city Mr. Bryan took pains to
introduce himself to the party Mahatmas present
as the reincarnation OF Jefferson and Lincoln He
represented the Republicans celebrating the birth
day OF Thomas Jefferson in Boston in 1850, and
Lincoln writing them letter in which he said the
Republican party believed in the above the dol
lar The anti-slavery people OF Boston did celebrate
Jeffersons birthday in 1850 in honor OF Jefferson
opposition slavery discussing which he had SAID
Il tremble for my country when / remember that
God is just Lincoln discussed the ownership OF
chattel slave for the profit OF his labor Inc
dollar was the coin that bought human flesh and com
PEELED the toll OF slaves who had no share IN the
wealth they produced
Continuing Mr.. Bryan said: That was the doc
trine of Lincoln and in the early days OF his ad-
ministration he sent to Congress message ana Ill
that message he warned his countrymen against the
approach Of monarchy What alarmed him, he stated
in that message, was the attempt to put capital upon
an equal footing il not above labor in the structure
of the Government and in that he the danger OF
returning monarchy" Nothing better serve to
illustrate either Mr. Bryan's careessness OF facts or
his intellectual dishonesty than this juggled quota
ton from Lincoln
In his first regular message to Congress, delivered
December g. 1861 Mr. Lincoln discussed the origin OF
the rebellion and the state OF the military operations
had forced upon the Government, and then entered
mon an examination of certain principles involved
and the difference between the tendencies exhibited oy
the people OF the South and those OF the North upon
this he said: 1T continues to develop that the nsur-
rection is largely, if not exclusively war upon the
first principles of popular government-the rights OF
the people Conclusive evidence OF this is found in
the most grave and maturey considered pubic docu-
nens as well as in the general tone OF the insurgents
t. ind abridpment
existing right of suffrage and the denial to the people
all rights to participate in the selection OF public
officers except the legislative boldly advocated with
labored arguments to prove that large control OF
the people in government is the source of all political
evil Monarchy itself is sometimes limited at as pos
sibe refuge from the power OF the people In my
present position could scarcely be justified were to
omit raising a warning voice against this approach
of returning OF despotsm" Then followed dis
cussion OF the origin OF this symptom observed by
Lincoln as existing in the Southern Conederacy,
which he found in the desire OF the slave-holding
States to have the dollar the man.
Now. what must one think of Mr. Bryans honesty
in the light of his Misrepresentation OF Lincoln? 1t
was in the South, among the present supporters OF
Mr. Bryan without whom he could not have reached
the nomination in 1896 and cannot reach it again. that
NIr Lincoln found signs of the approach Of mon
archy Bryan drew considerable part of his speech
from this palpable misstatement Lincoln was draw
ing attention to a condition developed in the Demo
cratic States OF the South, then in rebellion against
the Union, where monarchical spirit had been fos
tered by the ownership of chatte slaves He made no
reference to the North any tendency in the free
States where labor owned itself and its earnings Yet
Mr. Bryan represents him warning his country
men against the approach OF monarchy and fright
ened at the attempt then in its inception to place
capital upon an equal footing with labor in the struc
ture OF the Government"
The only government Lincoln had in mind was the
rebel government founded on slavery, dedicated to
the ownership of by the dollar, in which there
should be no free labor Against that government
and its structure Mr. Lincoln was making war, and
he continued to its overthrow. Its hosts
thrown its hopes defeated its purposes destroyed and
those who cherished them were scattered, to make
their next rally in support of Mr. Bryan. They
tnue to declare that their cause characterized by Mr.
Lincoln in 1861 as the return of monarchy just
cause and they seem select Mr. Bryan its latest
representative.
Every thoughtful man sees that if Mr.. Bryan had
quoted Mr. Lincoln truhfully and had let his audi
ence know that the message named the Southern
Confederacy as the of avowed monarchical ten
denotes, considerable part of his speech would
have been Kissed instead OF cheered by his audience
which was not one to listen patiently to what 1t would
have considered abuse OF the late Conederacy.
If there is any value in what Lincoln said it is in
the fact that he warned the country Of attempt of
the Democratic party in the South to expe the people
from power and establish monarchy
The misuse made of it by Mr. Bryan is therefore
dishonest degree that impeaches his morality and
marks him an unsafe public teacher and tricky
leader.
Enthusiastic New Workers intend to petition the