Las Vegas daily optic., 1907-03-05

appeared when he first came East 20 |
speak In Cooper institute. a. years |
ago. AMI Of his wonderful career and !
character. reminds me Of a memorar
bic talk II was my good fortune 90
have with Mr.. Lincoln at that time. |
says Prof Mark Bailey In the New
York Tribune. After his great speech
In New York he gave the same. a..
sentially. IN New Haven. and I was
20 pleased with 1t that | went TO
Meriden 10 hear Il again.
A few days after. taking the trala
for New York. saw Mr.. Lincoln In
the car, and could not resist the
chance Of speaking with him. Noth.
Ing could have been more gracious
than his invitation to sit down In the
seat BY him. "Mr. Lincoln" I SAID.
'it has been my lot to hear a good
many Republican speeches. but never
one that stated the principles and pol
Icy OF the party 20 clearly ana strong.
iy and with no little offense DO oppo.
nents as yours."
Mr. Lincoln said: We have to
learn to state our side on the stump
out West with as little offense nm DOS.
sihle to opponents. as we have both
parties before u.s.
But how did you acquire your OK.
traordtnary power Of putting things ?"
Mr.. Lincoln. not satisfied with such
a general compliment, lifted I'D his
long forefnger asd said: For In.
stance" and recalled his original
and telling Illustration of not striking
at slavery In the slave states, although
u was admitted 10 be a great moral
III well as a political and industrial
eyil.
1 reminded him OF the strange fac,
that Lloyd Garrison. Wendell phillips
and other anti'slavery leaders gave M
their right to vote. even. rather thar
swear allegiance to the constitution
which they fiercely denounced for IN
directly supporting slavery In tn,
slave states.
You. Mr.. Lincoln. are the only mai
In the nation who has had the wit /,
get round that moral point"
II will be remembered that his il
iustration was: 'If good man see
a venomous snake In the road. hi
hrst instinct will be TO kill IL befor
1t harms some one. But II he come
home and finds that venomous snak
coiled around his babies In the trur
die bed. he dare not strike-he mtgh
do more harm than good" And the
he added with an indescribable ele,
tric outburst: But who proposes t
put that same venomous snake Int
yonder clean beds where our childre
are soon to go? The Democrat
party"
when asked how he happened o.
that felicitous Illustration he replied
Il often felt that the moral question
was the weak point in my argunAnt
and was not at all satisfied with m
statement. The truth Il gave tha
speech several times before I hit o
that illustration. At one time Il sud
denly flashed on me like an inspira
ton while was on my feet speak
ing"
LiNcoLN's oRAToRv.
Mr.. Lincoln's scanned and rugged
Features" as Mr.. Choate calls them
lighted up with hearty smile at m,
appreciation of his rare gift of expires
sion. His manner was SO cordial: he
seemed as II talking with an old
friend instead of stranger: kindly
questioned me about my own life and
work. and when | told him I was In
structor Of oratorical speaking in Yale
college he seemed doubly pleased that
"S Piaiu npedhIHS, as ne CdiIeu IL,
should be so highly valued.
When reference was made to his
famous debate with Douglas he said
"Mr. Douglas is a iebater of great
ability and shrewdness. and knows
well all the preiudices Of the people
of our state. and has no scruples about
appealing to them" When his un-
answerable arguments and appeals to
justice and right In that debate were
referred to. he modestly said '1f I
had any advantage In that contest
over Douglas 1t was that determined
before we began that. whatever hap
pened, I would not. even for a mo-
ment. lose my temper" And added.
parenthetically: II am not a very
bad tempered man as men so, but |
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