Willmar tribune., 1900-08-22
DO LIhcoLN's WORDS APPLv7

~ ~'"0oeN "OHUS APPlv(
"Those arguments that are made,
that the inferior race are to be treated
With as much allowance as they are
capable OF enjoying; that as much is
TO be done for them as their condition
Will allow. What are those argu-
ments? They are the arguments that
the kings have made for the enslavluy
OF the people in all ages of the world.
You will find that all the arguments of
kingcraft were always of this class:
they always besrode the necks of the
people, mot that they wanted to do it,
but because the people we're better off
for being ridden. Turn it whatever
way you will whether it comes from
the mouth Of a king, as an excuse for
ems laving the people Of his country,
or from the mouth of men Of one race
as a reason for enslaving the men Of
another race: it is all the same old
serpent. "
The above is an extract from a
speech made by Abraham Lincoln
which the democrats are making free
use Of. The Willmar Tribune keeps
it standing at the head of it's editorial
page and together with a poor cut of
the "rail splitter' president runs it
week after week, headed "Lincoln on
Imperialism. Had Abraham Lin
coin uttered these words in opposition
to our course in the Philippines or in
opposition to proposition to expand
oyer any territory his words would
carry great weight in the present cam
paign. But what was the occasion for
the above words by Mr.. Lincoln? The
people of the south democrats de-
prived the blacks of their votes and
OF every other right dear to mankind
and was ruling them with "a rod of
iron without their consent. Mr.. Lin
coin never thought of expansio ion when
he spoke those words but he spoke
against the action of the people OF the
south in doing just what the demo-
cratic party is doing today in many
states of the h-disfranchisjng the
black man. The editor who uses Mr..
Lincoln's words AS the Tribune is u.s.
ing them is no respecter of truth or
the honored dead.-New Paynesville
Press.
The Press man is quite an acrobat
in jumping at conclusions. In the
first place the TRIBUNE does not keep
the extract standing. The picture Of
Lincoln is kept there, but new ex-
tract is given each week. The picture
may not appeal to the esthetic and
artistic nature of our critic, but it is
made from what is generally consid-
cred his best photograph. Lincoln
never won fame for his beauty, but his
great mind and kind heart have en-
deared him to all who can appreciate
such qualities.
In the second place we have made
no application of the extract. We
left that to our readers, and it seems
that the Press editor Immediately saw
that it applied to the Philippines and
hastens to try to neutralize its effect
by claiming that it applied only to
slavery in the South. An examina-
tion OF Lincoln's words will show the
falsty Of this claim. The first part
of it is general; it applies to all efforts
Of tyrants to rule people against their
consent. 1t is a general truth and ap-
plies as we'll now as at any time in
the past. It applies wherever a su-
perior race governs an inferior race
under the excuse that the inferior race
will be given "as much allowance as
they are capable of enjoying." No
person of ordinary mental capacity
can fail to see the resemblance be-
tween that plea and McKin!ey's prom.
ise to give the Filipinos "such meas.
ure Of local self-government as they
shall show themselves capable of en-
joyiug''-leaving to himself to deter
mine how much that should be-. Even
the Press editor could not fail to see
the unspoken application, and it made
him mad. .s.~1~zs-~%a. '''.>.
Mr.. Lincoln may not have thought
Of Expansion" but his words, show
that he thought Of all the cases OF
9 Imperialism y in the. past, and that
is what makes his words applicab BILE
whenever imperialism raises its head
anywhere and at any time. The editor
who tries to limit = great historical
truth, applicable wherever tyranny
shows itself, to only one case 10 the
past, has no respect for truth, logic,
or common sense.
Lincoln took that general truth and
applied II to q particular instance,