Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-02-13
DOCTRINES OF GREAT MARTYR
Probable Attitude Toward Great
Problems Of Today Discussed.
BROAD AND TOLERANT MAN
He Would Be Republican on the
Tariff Question.
WORK FOR THE FTL1PNos
EhOrts of Adniinistrn 20 Lead
People 90 civil and Political
Liberty would MceI
His Approval.

MS Approval.
/ GRAND RAPIDS. Mich, Feb. 12-Secre.
tary Taft was the principal speaker al the
annual banquet OF lhe Lincoln club to-
night. Addresses were also delivered by
French Ambassador Jusseurand and Cur
lis Guild Jr- governor Of Massachusetts.
MIR. THfts Address.
Secretary Taft said:
What Would Lincoln Do Todayg"
j ud not select this toast. and snould not
have chosen it Of my own tree will IN Ia
dlitlcut TO fit into a new niche OF history
a really great man whose greatness is in
uissoluhly associated with a uartic,tlar
crisis in which he lived. one cannot take
from The environment In which the grHnd-
ness OF his character stands out. There are
ltM HNes winch seem 10 have been shaped
80 proNidentinlly 10 meet a cOuntry'e rfeaf
needs as that OF Lincoln with reference TO
slavery ana the civil war. Coming from a
childhood Of the greatest penufy and de
mOcracy and a love OF euuAl rights that
| never LEFT him and gave deep color to his
Whole Nte, his soul revolted at human
slavery He had a tenderness Of heart ana
a sympathy with hls fellowman that man
ltested itself in the smallest details of his
ne ana he had power Of putting him
self in another's place which gave him q
Ifolouho sense OF justice, He understood
Ihe play OF human nature as few men have.
he was party man. as every man must
De Who wishes 10 leave his Individual i'm
preston upon the individual character OF
the nation. ] do not mean for moment
TO deprecate Independence Of party or mug
Wumpism. because believe that the inde-
pendent vote on the whole exercises more
direct effect in an election than the Marty
vote. il must be so. but while an inde-
pthaenl voters. as mass, exercise more
control over the decisions In an election
as individuals they do not do So The mar
who would retain his Individual influence
ana effect good measures IN our country
where parties are a necessity in the car
rNtnE on Of The government must be
party man. And no one recognizes this
more than did Lincoln. For that reason
we may sav. in the first place that N in
coin were living today he would be a re-
publican.
As a follower Of Mr. CLAY Lincoln was
IN favor Of the protective or American sys-
TEN, as i was called. During his adminis-
trHtion the Morrill, tariff was pRRsed for
dustries on tho modern plan was then fully
tnaugurHted We can, therefore. assign
MN nm 70 mace In the present day among
Policy of Expansion.
Where would he stand in respect 20 our
t,hiiippins policy and expansion? Would
Pc as the mt frupertslist take the posi-
iion. were be living today. tltnt tbe rerstl,-
llcan party IN It's actions IN respect TO
Porto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines had
departed from the principles that acfu-
aled MIN IN becoming a republican ana
Moula ne be against retaining that party in
hAllonal controlf Mr.. Lincoln relied greatly
IN ms discussions on the slave Question
upon the terms Of the Declaration Of In
dependence He dwelt upon the postuIate
set forth IN that instrument that ali men
are created free and equal and he iIlsiai,i
lhat, it, insofar as the constitution recognized
slavery and insofar as slavery was an in
stltullon Of our government ii was a de-
Paflure from the Declaration Of lndepep-
dence, and II is possible 10 quote from his
y NNtIllHt,s ana speeches sentences which.
taken from their text and made appIicgbla
i 70 lhe republican policy in the Philippines
Woulu seem 10 he al variance with IN But
when We understand what ID was that 7 an
com was attacking and compare ii with
What Il If that We have done ana are doinP
III the fnilipDlnHE IL no ft.s
Two things are so different that II is nm
oerstood TO be unsafe to assume that His
alutuqe toward the policy of expansion
ana our Philippine policy would he lie
same as his attitude toward the inFtftu-
Ion ion ol numHn slavery. He maintained that
@ tLS Woros al men are created free and
eluaI included the cOlOred as well as tie
NLlle man but affirmed with great erD-
pnasis that he did not mean thai the men
who We're thus declared equal were neees
hhrlly lifted at once To be voters or tsta
Bar1 in the government What bs car
tended was that they We're at once eutitlsd
70 Lhe bread they earned and Should he
even me right Of life, liberty ana the pur-
Man of Bread View.
Lincoln was not a man stiFFl,, a,.-,,.+t.
iI tle Was d man who allowed the sppIica-
ION noh 9i ms principles 10 be controlled by
me Iilness OF things His whole mature
was that Of sweet reasuna bIeness ana c'-In
mon sense. Had he been in the seat ocgai
- Iyo.,, ~ sMchLnIey when the problem was
pithehtvu 10 hlIn after the Spaufsh- u,sr-i-
cah war as 10 what should he done with
respect 10 the Philippines there ig notrirr-
m ms career, nothing in any Of his spesrbas
properly understood which WolIi5 nv e,rr,s ,,e
vented him from taking exactly tie same
course Mckinley tool, 0'liiie
II Is true that Mr. Lincoln orross5 ,,-,.,
arr ument and resolution the e.olirse ~ N5l
fpik adfnnistra ton in brfnEinF ~, -.
AleAlcan . war, and thar he regarded IL as
AtIe guest Tor military glory and a.
QUESTION Of territory THAI aid moi bSi,,,r =,
@ 49, Dul Mhen one compares the different
~ ~ S.illslahces ~ surrounding the recent Span
fIf f4. N
ialf-ninded man can sustain an Braior-,,
'Ntth Inc Two We all can rerneBnber ~
! t,,q iSrlaUL4nce Win which Mckinley was finally
- GINStt 70 me Necessity Of taking up arms
IN behaH Of The Cubans against srs'ir ~
L L.iL'aI Lhl historian viii attribute 10 hirn in
the beginning Of that war either greed -
seIIlioIs or thirst for power. The self
oei'glnE resolution Of Senator Teller a.
L1chea 70 The declaration OF war relieved
ION ~ t-ts eiia me country from any imputA-
IGN liel oI having as d motive In beginning
liiaA war territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT III v-se
a war that found its reason IN the mis-
E"NtTufueut OF people SO near uE fbzt
their demOralizatiun, their FufferinT-e eTc
lheiI danger IN point Of health 10 an thei,
lI IlISi =, Aal become an International
scanohl and Mckinley resisted 10 the Iffer-
most the appeal TO arms but force OF public
opinion was too strong for him and ~
fielaea 70 me inevitable Lincoln would
nave zone exactly the same and he could
nave done so without the slightest densrt-
uTe from the principles which Euided rim
.l-I llI9ukh The Mexican war and through the
Problems Of the Philippines.
When the e2iEencies of the Cuban Uysr
look us - The Philippines and Porto Rico
hhu propositions were submitted 10 Us xVher,
lhc protocol has signed, whether We Should
take over the Philippines a question
arose Tor oeclsiun that finds no analogy
Whatever IN the issues which Mr. Lmcoin
Wa called upon 10 consider and ollr na-
tluilal course IN that regard found no corr
lIoihnE principle IN his declared political
Ihnlnsuphy Tor our Specific guidance
Ihe Philippine islands came 10 us with
oul our design In war one must pursue
MS enemy where he can find him IL was
necessary that Dewey should destroy ths
spanish fleet IN the Pacific 20 prevent ia
use against our commerce ana against our
Pacific territory. The destruction OF the
spanish fleet pat the Philippines al our
mercy We mad no troops. however and as
q reasonable war measure we invoked the
assistance Of AEllualdo and has fellow
lnsllrecios aBalust the pJHer of Spain 10
assist us In establishing control on tbe
land until our army could travel 7hal miles
between our ports ana the Philippines
WIN the assistance Of AEuinaldo's army
We took the city Of Manila and then me
peace came The question was what course
w