The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-02-16
MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

htllotlSLl is Tie ltSL refuge Oh
scoundrcls," exclaimed the great DR..
Johnson. The words are as true to-
day as when they were uttered by the
blunt and honest Englishman. In all
ages designing knavcs and scoundrels
have adopted the livery of patriotism
as we'll rs of religion to carry out their
evil purposes. In this age and in this
country there are men who use both
patriotism and religion to cnnoblp and
sanctify crime.
Last Tuesday being the 92nd an
nivcrsary Of Lncon'S birthday an OPP
portunity was afforded such men to
speak patriotically. All over tire coun-
try the anniversary of the mnrtyrcu
president who cmancpatcd 5,OOO,OOO
of slaves was celebrated. and eulogrS
were pronounced on the dead patriot
who declared in his Gettysburg speech
that 81 government of the people. by
the people. and for the people shall
not perish from the earth" Less
than forty years after. the government
which it cost SO much blood and treas
llre to preserve on this continent is Ell
dangcrcd by the men who eulosizrd
Abraham Lincoln on Tuesday.
In New York such men us Mark
Hanna. Chaunccy NJ. Dcpew. White
law Reid Attorney General Grggs
and John NJ. Thurston delivered elo-
qucnt speeches on Old Abe, though
they are the promoters of slavery in
the Philippines. In Ohio Mark Han
ma was called 81 statesman and Il
patriot by the vulturcs of tire Rcpub-
lican party which he dominates
In a speech in response to the toast
"Our New Possessions" at a banquet
in New York, Whitclaw Reid, of the
New York Tribune, one of the Paris
Peace Commissioners who is largely
responsible for the muddle in the
Philippines, spoke in strain which
would cause Lincoln to turn in his
grave if he heard the words of the
impcrialist who wants to rob the Fill
pinos of elf-governmcnt and make
them subjects Of the American rcpub-
lie.
The very men who. for the past three
years, have been lauding Alexander
Hamilton as the god of their party
were out in full force last Tuesday
paying homage to the memory of
Abraham Lincoln. What is their
object? To dcludc the people whom
Abraham Lincoln cautioned them
against. He declared before his tragic
death that the financial and com,
mercial interests were a menace to the
perpetuity Of the republic The ~
personalities Of these same interests
appear in the guisc of patriots on his
natal day and laud him in the most
extravagant terms. Their principles
are Numerically opposed to the prin-
ciplcs of the noble Lincoln. though
they pretend they are following his
teachings.
Here in Minneapolis plutocratic
preacher of the gospel of grab made
a speech in honor of Lincoln and in Il
gust Of patriotism Of the imperialistic
kind spoke as follows:
"If President Lincoln of the Nine.
teenth century We're to put into words
his message to President Mckinley
of the Twentieth century, it would be,
He that having put his hand to the
plow and looking back is not fit for
the kingdom Of God The flag that
was triumphant at Appomattox must
not be trailed in the dust Mt Manila
The flag which overcame the soldierly
opposition Of so gallant and knightly
a foe as Robert Il. Lee must not be
hauled down before the tactics of the
guerilla and assassin employed by the
savage freebooter of the Philippines"
1t is unnecessary to say that the
preacher referred to is Rev. DR.. Mar
ion D. Shutter, the pastor of the
Church of the Redecmer, whose lead
ing members are imperialists of the
most pronounced type Some time
ago he said the same thing to the