Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-02-13
4 LINCOLN BANQUET
Postmaster Cortelyou Speaks
 at Grand Rapids, Mich.
EULOGY OF THE MARTYR PRESIDENT
His Great Influence on American Public Life-New Era Opens In Our COuntry-Day of Boss
 ism Wanes.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. Feb. 13.-- Postmaster General Cortelyou was the principal speaker at the Lincoln club banquet here last night before large assembly.
 Mr. Cortelyon spoke on Lincoln's in, fiuence on American public life. He re. ferred to Michigan as being the birth place of the Republican party and paid tribute to Zachariah Chandler of that state as an overshadowing personality in the United States.
 "The life we honor," he said. lis tha, of one of the. most illustrious of Ameri cans. Tn the calendar of liberty none gives us greater inspiration for the flu; ture- Lincoln, the rail splitter; Lincoln the advocate: Lincoln. the legislator; Lincoln, the president: Lincoln, the emancipator; Lincoln of the ages.
 Tn the passing of the years his fame will grow as the aspirations for liberty broaden with our own boundaries and reach out across the seas. With all his gentleness, how strong and how com pletely he met the supreme tests that came to him in the presidency. What an illustration his life afforded of the truths that early privations need be nc bar to ultimate success: that obstacles overcome are the greatest of educa tors that integrity and honor and fair deal ing are living factors in every real tri. umph in every abiding fame; that faith in the people and devotion to. their in terests are essentials to lasting honor in public life. -
 For the greater part of the past three-guarters of a century Lincoln's influence on American public life has been felt in ever increasing measure It was reflected in his contemporaries, and those who have followed him in the presidency make no concealment of their lasting obligation to him.
 "Ifi government of the people, by the people and for the people rests our sal. vation. Dangers beset us on every hand when We stray from that ideal Every condition that disturbs us can be tested by it.
 "Old theories and old methods are passing away. From lean years we have come to years of plenty. Prosper ity greets us upon every hand. Profita- ble employment awaits every man who honestly seeks work. The rewards of toll and study and preparation were never so great. and never were onportu- mites larger for those who give to the state or to the nation their loyal serv- ice.
 'The new era. with it's expansion of territory and expansion of commerce, has brought it's perplexities and it's problems"
 Mir. ,Cortelyou declared that the day of the boss in American politics is on the wane. expressed his belief in re- ,yarding party service and of opening the door of opportunity to every wor- thy aspirsnt for public station and said: ..-.
 Our political campaigns must be conducted upon the high plane of prin- ciple. in which the fullest discussion of policies shall be encouraged. hut in which misrepresentation and abuse of opponents shall have no part"
 In closing the postmaster general said: Now. gentlemen. let me say just one word to you as members of the Lincoln club. Repuhlicanism is, ever aggressive. There are no faltering notes in its battlecries. They ring true on the great underlying doctrines of free government. The party of Lin coin and Grant and Garfield and Ar thur. of Harrison and Mckinley and Roosevelt. what heritage. What an inspiration for the future. If we are true to their principles we shall stand for clean policies and clean politics. We shall point to a record of an unexam- pied prosperity. But. better thousand times than this. VIC shall continue to advocate those theories of government which teach that material prosperity is but poor and empty thing if ac- through any sacrifice of the moral sense of our people"