The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-06
THE VOICE OF LINCOLN.

| party has been living partly on its past
reputation. as alternating bear lives on
its fat. The time has come when the peo-
pie are likely to realize that no party can
do this sort Of thing indefinitely.
| little book entitled "Lincoln's Words
on Living Questions has lately been
published, and contains the concentrated
essence of the views of this great Ameri-
can. The Republicanism of today claims
him as its representative. a thing which
| 1t can only do honestly in so far as 1t
stands for the things to which he devoted
| his life. 1t is Instructive, therefore. to read
| his sayings,t given forth at a time which
tried the souls Of men and brought out
| whatever WIS earnest and true in them.
and see how far these are applicable to
! the problems of today. and how well they
agree with the sentiments. expressed and
tacitly indicated, Of the present Republic
can leaders,
The reader of Lincoln's speeches and
writings is struck at once by their pecu-
liar applicability to the problems Of all
| time. This Illinois lawyer, this rail-split-
| ter and backwoodsman, this man who rose
| from the ranks to control the destiny of
nations and change the history OF the
world. was a born leader OF men. He was
so not thorough any fortuitOus concatena-
| ton OF circumstances, but because he saw
more deeply and felt more strongly on
the problems Of the time than did other
| men; because, through his strangely or
dered life, he had studied American poll
tics with the broad and keen perceptions
OF one who Is seeking not his own per-
sonai gain. but the truth. 1t was Lin
coins aim to ascertain what was best for
the country. not what happened to be best
for hi,A: and If that style of political reas-
ontng mas gone out of fashion nowadays,
1t is time to enquire what, and who must
be held responsible for the change
In was in August, 1s5s-fiftytwo years
ago. that Lincoln gave forth this utter
ance regarding the Declaration of Inde-
pendence and the men who made it,
Wise statesmen they were. they knew the
tendency of prosperity to breed tyrants, and SO
they established these great self-evident truths
that when, in the distant future, some man. some
action some interest," should set up the doctrine
that none but rich men, but white men, or
none but Anglo-Saxon white men were entitled to
lie, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. their
posterity might look up again to the Declaration
of Independence and take courage to renew the
battle which their fathers began
We have been told in these latter days
that "the best business interests" must
be allowed to dictate the policy of the
rfr,y
people may cry out in protest. We have
been told by Republican campaign orators
that those who find fault with the existing
order of things are tramps. hoboes, and
men without work. Does the Declaration
of Independence declare that the man
without work is not worthy to vote? Is
mans fitness to exercise the privilege
OF citizenship to be measured by the num-
Der of dollars he has managed to accumu-
late? Is the man who owns a million of
these supposed to be thereby fitted to con-
troll the destiny of the man who Owns
none? Is that what Lincoln took the
Declaration of Independence to mean?
This paragraph does not sound like it.
Again. he said in 1857, concerning this
equal:
The assertion THAT all men are created equal
was of practical use in effecting our separation
n r,ol, oieal nrtah' ana II was iiaced IN the
authors meant il to, be stumbling block to iii
thoae VINO IN AFTER times might seek to turn
ism Tbcv lnew The nronennss y, ,rosnor;, -.
breed tyrants, and they meant. when such should
rcappear in this fair land and commence their
one hard nut to crack.
Several apologists for Mr. Hanna and
the trust system have been trying IN
crack that mt lately and the resu,t has
been bruised fingers and profanity The
-.aaf e shell ;s ton
aa- ... .-.. , right kind
gF
.. - be- 0r...... ,coIn apain
-..srs 70 lr .pees !, proneness
cf gao. srr -. nsaal ..-. Is" We have
ae.- "a, ..s- .... -F.1rlr If money that
..-e under tepublicap ruIe
- IN Indication t- n- ghteousness of
.ra >rne hundred millions of that
money. during the past fiscal year. has
been gathered in by trusts organized in
the State of New Jersey alone. If Lincoln
were alive. would he take back his state
ment about the dangers of prosperity and
declare that they are always an unqualified
blessing? But, some one may say. there
is no proof that the trusts, the combines.
and the monopolies are not interfering
with the liberties of a free people? Is
corporation interfering with a mans
rights when it dictates where he shall