The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-02-12

candidacy in his first campaign speech
in these words:
Il am young and unknown to many
OF you was born and have ever re
malned In the humble walks Of life
have no wealthy and powerful rela.
tlons to recommend me. have been
solicited by my friends TO become a
candidate for the Legislature My pol
itlcs are short and sweet. am in ia.
yor Of a national bank, and Of a high
protective tariff These are my sen.
tlmonts and political principles. II
elected. / shall be thankful; II not, It
will be all the same"
II is a remarkable fact that he was
nominated on what Is now before the
Oregon legislature as the Direct Pri.
mary system. and that he appealed
not TO the party, but TO the independ.
ent voters OF the country and they
gave him his FIRST Office. In those days
ii was the practice for the rival candi.
dates 10 meet and make speeches, and
let the people Judge Of tholr ability
and earnostness
The greatest political event In Lin.
coins life before he became President
was his debate with Douglas. The
latter was trained politician. and
made use OF all the arts Of a born
dcmagog, smooth lawyer, and a
cunning ofiice.seekor He was a
slavery man 20 the shareholders. an
on hand liberal champion Of local
sovereignty TO those who opposed
slavery, and a comprOmiser on all oc.
casions. Il seemed impossible for
Lincoln To pin his antagonist down TO
any statement long enough 10 ham
] mer Il to pieces with his logic aud his
relentless humor In an outburst OF
lmpaticnco al Douglas shifty methods
Lincoln exclaimed:
The men who signed the DeClara
ton Of Independence said that all men
were created free and equal. and on.
dowed by their Creator with certain
inalienable rights 10 life. liberty and
the pursuit OF happiness. beseech
YOU DO not destroy that immortal EN-.
lblem OF humanity. the Declaration OF
Independence Was not this an In.
vocation worthy OF the cause OF nm.
man freedom which he championed? a?
he knew that only the truth could
convince the people, and he felt and
believed that truth and right were on
his side OF the question.
In May, 1856, convention was held
at Springfield Illinois. 20 organize a
new political party Lincoln was nat.
uarally a politician In the higher
sense OF the word politics Here ne
was In his element Tie was natural.
~ political orgaulzer OF men along
lines OF great moral and fundamental
principles, not along the lines OF po
itical bosses Abraham Lincoln
made speech az that convention
which will never be forgotten ny
those who heard it and but few of
them are now living History tells ms
that it was one OF the greatest speech.
~ he ever made Again and again
during les delivery the audience
sprang to their feet and by long and
lcontuued cheers showed how deeply
the speaker had moved them. when
the new party was formed aud given
tho name Of Republican party IL was
natural that lincoln should have been
chosen tor iis header He was ts
leader in Illinois and .n Jhe Nation.
He became the leader OF humanity.
aud its highest aspirations in the time
ne lived aud lt can not we'll be doubt.
90 that ne is today the leader of po
litical Thought IN The world OF Ideas
and principles that are dominating
the whole civilized world and vhor.
ever man is taking step IN the de-
yelOpment 90 salfgovcrnment