Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-08-17
THEN AND NOW
SPEECHES OF LINCOLN AND
ROOSEVELT COMPARED.
The President Eulosizes Lincoln, but His Ad.
ministration Upholds Policies Dramatically
Opposed to the Teachings Of His Martyred
Predecessor.

In his speech at Springfield, Ill.,. Mr..
Roosevelt said:
"lt is good thing for us, by speech,
to pay homage to the memory Of Abraham
Lincoln, but it is an infinitely better
thing for us in our lives to pay homage
to his memory in the only way IN which
that homage can be effectively paid, by
seeing to it that this republics life, social
and political, civic and industrial, is
shaped now in accordance with the ideals
which Lincoln preached and which all
his life long he practiced. The greatness
Of cur forefathers must serve not as an
excuse to us for failing to do our duties
in return, but as a spur to make us feel
that We are douhly recreant to them as
we'll as to OH selves if we fail to rise level
with the standards they SET"
II Mr.. Roosevelt is sincere in making
this statement, then why does he not ex-
ert his great influence to see to it that
this government shall rise level with
the Standards set by the forefathers?
Why does he not exert his influence to
see to it that the republican party-whose
leaders by speech pay homage to the
memory Of Abraham Lincoln-pays
homage to his memory in the only way
sin which that homage can be effectively
paid by conforming in its policies to the
ideals which Lincoln preached and which
all his life long he practiced?"
The truth is that while the republican
party claims Lincoln as its patron saint,
republican leaders do not dare undertake
to quote from Lincoln's speeches and
writings in support Of present day repub-
lican policies. Indeed, republican lead
ers have been confounded by liberal
quotations from Lincoln and these serve
so completely in condemnation Of the re-
publican policies Of today that one ignor.
ant Of the author might believe they were
written for this particular occasion.
Could there be anything more striking
than the language found in Mr.. Lincoln's
speech Of July 10, 1858, in condemnation
of the republican platform Of 1900? In
that platform, referring to the Filipinos,
the republican party said: "The largest
measure of self-government consistent
with their welfare and our duties shall be
secured to them by law" In 1858 Mr..
Lincoln, as though he were speaking
with this republican plank before him,
said: "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 conditions will
allow-what are these arguments? They
are the arguments that kings have made
for enslaving the people in all ages OF the
world. You will find that all the argu-
ments in favor OF kngcraft were of this
class they always bestrode the hecks Of
the people, not that they wanted to do it,
but because the people were better Off
for being ridden. That is their argu-
ment. Turn it whatever way you
will whether it come from the mouth Of
a king as an excuse for enslaving the
people CT his country, or from the mouth
shaving the men OF another race, it is all
the same old serpent"
Republican campaign arguments like
the full dinner pail were denounced by
Mr.. Lincoln in speech delivered August
81, 1864, in which he said: 81 beg you
not to allow your minds or your hearts to
be diverted from the support OF all neces-
sary measures for the purpose by any
miserable picayune arguments addressed
to your pockets or inhammatory appeals
made to your passions and your preju-
dices.'
The maintenance Of the institution OF
slavery in the Sulus on territory over
which the United States claim jurisdc-
ton, was condemned by Mr.. Lincoln in a
letter addressed to Mr.. Seward under
date of February l, 1861. In that letter
Mr.. Lincoln said: "Any trick by which
the nation is to acquire territory and then
to allow some local authority to spread
slavery over it is as obnoxious as any
other"
The plan of the republican managers
to have the heads Of corporations control
the votes of their employees was com.
mented upon by Mr.. Lincoln in letter
under date Of July 4, 1864, in which he
said: "My wish is that you will do just
as you think fit with your own suffrage
in the case and not constrain any OF your
subordinates to other than he thinks fit
with his.'
The indifference and contempt for the
Declaration of Independence very gener-
ally shown by the republican leaders is
in strange contrast with the statement
made by Mr.. Lincoln in a speech deliv.