The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1908-08-14
IN HONOR OF LINCOLN
Illinois to Live Over His Great
Debates With Douglas.
SEVEN CITIES TO CELEBRATE.

From now on and continuing until
the middle Of October Illinois will live
over again the days Of the historic Lin
coln-Douglas debates. 1t is the golden
anniversary Of the celebrated contro-
versy, and the Illinois Historical So
ciety has planned celebrations in each
Of the cities where the debates were
held. These places are:
Ottawa, Aug. q.
Froeport Aug. ~.
Jonesboro, Sept. Is.
Charleston, Sept. Is
Galesburg Oct. T.
Quincy, Oct. IL
Alton, Oct. Is
There were but seven Of these noted
debates, all occurring In 1853. In
Quincy, Ill, where the political giants
pleaded their cause, granite stone
marks the spot, says a Quincy special
dispatch to the st. Louis Globe Demo-
crat. For ages this stone has rested
in a ravine In MelrOse township,
Adams county, about six miles south
east OF Quincy. 1t is ifty-three inches
thick, sixty inches wide and seventy
inches long. 1t weighs about six tons
On the evening OF the first day of
the year 1906, a most desolate night,
when a cold, wintry rain was falling
In torrents, men and horses by violent
half frozen mire and deposited the
granite bowlder In the southeast cor
ner Of Washington square, Quincy.
About one-third OF the bowlder was
submerged below the surface OF the
earth. Later on the committee, con-
sisting of DR.. ]. B. Shawgo, DR.. Jo-
seph Robbins and George NJ. James,
acting for the Historical society Of
Quincy. had the legend, Lincoln
Douglas Debate, Oct Is, 1885," CHS
eled on the top of the bowlder.
In two other places outside of Quincy
granite bowlder has been selected as
a marker In commemoration OF the de-
bates which, by reason Of the national
principle they involved and the mag
nificent intellects of the debaters, are
OF such enduring memory to the Amer
lean people as to make granite a pecul-
iarly appropriate material for a me-
mortal.
The historical value Of the debates
has also been brought to the direct at
tention of the rising population by
means Of forty page pamphlet pre-
pared by n committee from the advi-
sorry commission to the board Of direct
ors OF the Illinois state historical libra
~. The pamphlet has been issued by
+. G. Blair. state superintendent of
public instruction. The object OF the
pamphlet Is 10. furnish material for
programmes for the schools of the
state at the time Of the anniversary
celebrations this summer and fall and
also to provide material for the pupils
for essays I'm connection with the cele-
bration or in token OF the debates.
One OF the leading features OF the
anniversary celebration at Ottawa,
where the original debate took place
Aug. 81. the first of the series. VIII be
the marking OF the site where the de
bate was held 10y means of a huge
granite bOwlder. The speakers will he
William f. Mason. George Edmund
FOSs. J. Hamilton Lewis and Samuel
Alschuler. The programme will in
clude civic and military parades. his
tOrlca floats and q special chorus Of
several hundred voices.
The speakers nj the FrccpOrt celebra-
ton will be- Senator Dolliver. Colonel
~. T Davidson and Frank o. Lowden
There will Ice parade and home
coming celebration. The site OF the
debate Is marked by granite howider
placed there by the Frceport WOmen's
club and dedicated 10y President RoOSe-
welt in 1903. 1t was at Frceport that
Lincoln submitted his famous question
No. . to Dougias-namely:
Can the people 81 n United States ter
rtory In any lawful way. against tho
wishes OF any citizen OF the United States
exclude slavery from It's limits pr.7r 10
he formation OF a state constitution?
To which Douglas replied:
1t matters not Nat L. supreme court
may hereafter decide IS 20 the abstract
question whether slavery may or may not
40 into a territory under the constitution
The people have the lawful means II IN.
troduce or exclude IL. as tEey please fcI
the reason that slavery cannot exist 2
day or an hour anywhere unless ii is
supported b. local police regulations.
At JOnesborO. where the debate was
held Sept Is. on the fair grounds. ar
rangementS are being made for a suit
able celebration Of the event. Most OF
those who heard tle DEBATE at Jones
borO were partiSans of Douglas and
RrccniAriige.
At Charleston. the county seat OF
Coles county. the debate took place OF
Sept. Is. and. while the programme has
not been announced as yet. the ami
versary Will be fittingly celebrated. Al
Galesburg Oct. has several times IN