The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-04-22

Ak kA..S ramifying b q I
LINCOLN DENoUNC1NG they cannot be
THE GOLD HoARDERS- traced If these
are true and durable they go on for
ever. They win and shape uncon-
sciously. They are seeds blown about
the earth, and every heart is recep-
tive soil into which they may fall In
this view the results Of Lincoln's life,
toll and faith have only begun They
will furnish a light for mems feet and
viii lead them to liberty. truth and
mercy 50 long as America IS a nation
or there is a republic upon the earth
That Lincoln preserved the Union
and freed the slave is much That he
showed US what American manhood
can be, that he gave US an everyday
Illustration Of democracy, that he
taught Us charity and forgiveness. that
he proved to US over and over again
that nothing is durable but truth, that
he revealed TO US how a high soul can
overcome poverty and that he held be-
fore US the white example of a blame
less life are more
Fortunate is the land which has such
a man for its patron saint his life
becomes an inspiration for the young,
his precepts a guide for the old He
has marked out new moral paths and
pointed the way to new Individual and
social heights. Because he went
through the wilderness Of trial and
temptation and turned not aside We
can better find our way. Because he
was so gentle, so honest, SO true and
% friendly in all the relations Of life
we can all be gentler and ruer, more
honest and more friendly than we
should have been without his helpful
example.
America is just beginning to know
Lincoln. She has yet to learn the real
depth of his political philosophy. his
unwavering confidence in the triumph
Of right, his contempt Of money and
all that money can buy, his divine
faith in the masses Of men, the un-
selfshness Of his motives and, last and
highest Of all, his supreme spiritual
quality. There are enough lessons in
Lincoln to afford profitable study for
century. If any man can go to
school TO that life and not get over
being a snob. a prig or an aristocrat,
it will be because the pupil has not
enough brains to comprehend what
the master is trying to teach
Already it is safe to say that no
American has been so ulustrious since
Washington Concerning none has SO
much been written, nor has what has
been written been so eagerly read
This interest has grown up spontane-
ously from the people themselves That
is the beauty Of It There is nothing
forced nor artificial in his fame
When certain bankers of New York
tried to corner the supply Of gold dur
ting the war, Lincoln rather heatedly
said Of them that they ought to have
their internal heads shot of" He
uttered other opinions in kind About
the only really biting things the Naza-
rene ever said concerned the .'scribes,
Pharisees and hypocrites," and in the
same way the most caustic Of Lincoln's
remarks related to the money changers
and other like gentry who are the
modern counterparts Of those denounc-
ed by the Master. Lincoln had enough
real insight to see just who are the
worst enemies Of the human race.
No. ii is not from these that the phe-
nomenal growth Of Lincoln sentiment
has come Ii is from the toilers in the
fields. the shops and the mines, from
k<. ko fyar "a
diers he befriended, from the young to
whom he gave inspiration. from the
average man and average woman, who
felt In him a brother and friend
One Of the manifestations Of the Lin
coin wave that has swept the country
has been seen In the celebration of his
birthday. This was by no means gen
eral at first, but was spontaneously
saken up by societies and soldiers
posts, finally by states and a few years
since was made a holiday by the na-
tional government 1t has now culmi-
mated in making his birthplace shrine
and his centenary q worldwide cele-
bration--
As America grows more democratic.
as all forms OF slavery disappear, as
genuine manhood and womanhood are
more highly prized. as forms are aban-
aoned and spirituality becomes mani
Test. as mercy, charity and brotherhood
are enthroned, as the plain people come
to their own and N men grow In their
love Of truth, Of righteousness and of
mercy, the fame OF Abraham Lincoln
and his influence over his country VIII
Increase, for OF all these things he was