The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-02-22
CELEBRATED BIRTHDAYS
OF GEORGE WASHINGTON AND
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN,

on this occasion for the purpose or on- serving the birthdays of those two great characters in American history. Washington and Lincoln.
 The story of their birth and early life is too well known by you all for me to refer to in the few remarks am about to make regarding some of the profita- ble lessons drawn from their glorious records.
 England may boast of her Wellington, France of her Napoleon, Germany her Frederick the Great, Switzerland her Arnold vonwonkelride, and other na- tions their great men and leaders. But with the broad chart of ancient and modern times before you, nowhere can you find the names of two men who did more for the uplifting of humanity and the betterment of the world than did Washington and Lincoln. All of the other great men to whom l have referred sprung into prominence largely through their work on fields of battle, where men were moved down by shot and shell, spear and sword, to satisfy tyrannical ambitions and lust of power
 But while Washington and Lincoln were brave soldiers, they were also great statesmen, eminent philosophers and benefactors of mankind.
 Their hearts went out to those who were in distress. the loved little chil- dren, good men and fair women.
 Both believed in liberal education for the young, so as to better enable them to protect the government they had made and saved. Both rated war.
 but went about their tasks with un- flinching and underlying courage when they knew their people were in the right. Honesty and frankness were their notices in all things, and in this trait they left an example worthy the consideration of every true American. One was reared in the lap of luxury and the other in a little log-cabin sur rounded by the beauties of nature Both were dilligent workers from their early days to the time they passed be- yond to the great unknown leaving the world to ponder over their marvellous and successful glories.
 They had that mysterious power of doing and saying the right thing at the right time, and enthusing their people
 with that inspiration that sent them forward to victory on the field of battle,
 and crowned their efforts with success in the peaceful pursuits of business and commercial life.
 It was the spirit of such men as l Washington and his followers that
 brought success to our arms in the civil war. It was the spirit of such men as Lincoln and his followers that brought success to our arms in the late war with Spain. And it was the same spirit | instilled into the hearts and minds of every American by such men as Wash ington and Lincoln that made our flag and our nation honored and respected l by all the powers on earth.
 1 I believe from the time that the Brit
 ish colors were surrendered to Wash ington at Yorktown to the outbreak of the civil war that the world made more rapid strides in civilization and educa- tion than had ever before been known 1 by the old world in the same length of time, and I furthermore believe that
 still greater strides were started along I the same lines when Lincoln read to
 the world his immortal emancipation proclamation and made it a living part
 of the constitution of the United States
 of America.
 Draw to your minds imagination the
 picture of that magnificent form, that
 beautiful face kneeling oh the frozen
 and snow-covered ground at the dreary
 winter quarters Of Valley Forge, with ! baa f5 i.
 Maker to bring success to his half
 starved, ha1f-clothed army and the
 cause it represented, and after ponder
 ing over that picture more splendid | than artists can paint, do you wonder why our country has grown so great
 and its people so happy and contented? !? | Picture again, if you will the tall,
 gaunt, sad features of our nartyred
 Lincoln at the national capital, receiv-
 ing the news of victories and defeats, 1 the heart-rending criticisms of newspa-
 pers and northern spies, the slanderous
 lies emanating from pretended friend
 ship; see him rising above it all as ma 1 jestieally and pure as full, round
 monday sun in a cloudless sky, and
 giving to millions of human lives the
 rights which the founders of our repub- lie intended they should have
 What Washington inaugurated Lin-
 coin in a large measure completed; what one said the other believed in, and around every fabric of American prin-
 ciples are wrapped the heart-strings of the two great Americans whom we hon.
 or tonight.
 1 In these days when most peoples minds seems to be centered on the one idea of accumulating vast fortunes, lit-
 tie time is given to the proper obser-
 vance of the birthdays of the two men who more than any others, it seems to 1 me, made it possible for us to enjoy the
 wonderful wealth and prosperity that
 has come to us. They seem to be con- | tent to let the dead past bury it's dead" and think of the present only as | the time of harvest. But if they would but realize that the seeds from which sprung the harvest they are how reap | ing were sown in the past and fertilized by the blood of those who followed the leadership of Washington and Lincoln. they would enjoy it's sweetness the
 more by helping to provide for the fu- ture success of our country and its peo- ple One way of doing this is to ever keep before the American people the acts and deeds performed by Washing ton and Lincoln. They lived not for themselves alone, and found something better, grander and more noble in life