Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-13

Born In a Hut.
| Born in hut, and of poor and low
ly parentage, from struggling youth
he firmly trod his way along the rough
and uneaven path where truth and
duty led until the truth was reached,
| the duty done. and he became "The
Savior of a nation in its bloom"
| Caesar led great armies to victory.
that he might occupy throne; he
Idrenched the earth in blood that he
might wear a crown, When the roar
! of hostile cannon sounded above Fort
Sumter and the cry of an assaulted
nation was heard, Lincoln sent forth
| to battle the srandest army that ever
marched beneath the canopy of heav-
ell, not for throne or crown, but tlat
government of, for and by the people
should not perish from the earth.
Dressed in the uniform of the republic
and marching under the grandest ban
Iner on earth he babe them go forth
and die with Godlike virtue for the
public good on battlefield, in prjsoi
len or any place where duty, love and
truth required the Offering of their
lives
"Ninety-nine years ago in Hardin
county. Kentucky in log cabin with
no floor and no window and only one
room and one door Abraham Lincoln's
eyes first saw the light of day. Only
four books in the humble home, no
churches or schools in the community.
no cities or villages or towns, no rail
roads or telegraphs or telephones a
wild unbroken country surrounded him
| His eyes saw no work of art save the
rude hut of some sturdy pioneer, his
ears heard no music save the song OF
he birds. A child of the wilderness.
| he lived Near to natures heart and
grew i'll physical strength in intellec
ual power, in a moral purpose.
Removal Full Of IIarGships.
I'm 1916 Lincoln's family moved
| rom Kentucky county, Indiana, which.
ad just been admitted into the union
IS a state. 1t was long, hard journey,
| Trough dense forests, across swollen
| streams and over water covered prai-
les; they settled near Gentryville, and
| a d
| catch of the land and planted crop.
he struggle for life was hard. priva-
ton and hunger and want touched par
mt and child; two years later the
Eother died. in after years, the ''mys-
ic chords of memory" stretching from
The highest place of honor ard fame
O the little cabin home. paid sweet
II,
firth; mark how Supremacy. beautiful,
now full of tenderness and love, he
said '..All that l am. all that | have
been, and all that hope to be, l owe
o my angel mother"
about the time Lincoln reached his
majority the family moved from Indi-
ana and located in illinois, Lincoln
drove the oxen, they settled near De-
,atur-he assisted in the building of a
| lome-cleared the land and split the
ails that fenced it. he was now %
Tears of age and passed out from I'M
Ter his fathers roof to make his own
way in the world without money
friends or education. he sought en-
DlOyment and labored at whatever his
lands could find to do and sometimes
cid not have bread to eat nor "a place
% lay his head" but poverty and hard.
ship proved a blessing, his mind was
formed. and fashioned, strengthened
and developed by the force and touch
Of his environment.
an the autumn of 1886 Lincoln was
admitted to the bar of Illinois and soon
won distinction in his chosen profess
sion. At the Illinois bar in. his day and
generation were such distinguished
lawyers as Lyman Trumball w. H
+ Bissell. o. H. Browning, Judge Davis
and Stephen Douglas, all intellectual
giants and men of great ability. logic
and eloquence. 1t was in conflict with
these great minds that Lincoln's intel
llectual faculties were unfolded and de
veIoped and the man prepared for a
faithful and wise discharge of the
great responsibilities and duties after
wards imposed upon him.
Used Lawyers Device.
among lawyers is a rule of cross
examination which suggests the ask
ing of some qros;;iicT. which the wit
j lness can not answer in any way with
lout injuring his own cause. 1t was by
a strict adherence to this familiar rule
1 THAT Lincoln destroyed Douglas hopes
and opportunities for the presidency
4 Douglas said he did not care whethe
Aithe people of Kansas or Nebrask;
Voted for slavery up or down, in eacI
ldebate Lincoln pressed the question
q if you were citizen of Kansas 'woult
you vote it up or vote it down. Tn
q lquestion could not be answered witt
q out destroying the political future O
q Douglas. If he would vote it dow
the south would not support him,
q he would vote it Tip the north woul
d mot support him. He answered
q would vote it down and in the demo
z cratic national convention, the siav
states refused to support him, witt
drew from the convention, divided III
democratic party and made possibl
r. the election of Abraham Lincoln.
- Never was there assigned to tn
wisdom and courage of mortal MAJ