The Detroit times., 1909-02-10
S ITS
ARE LAUOEO BY
7 MISS TARBELL I
AUTHOR is PRINCIPAL SPEAKER
AT BENEFIT FOR MEMORIAL JIM.
IVERSITY-MARk TWAIN PRE-
SIDES AT THE MEETING.

NEW YORK. Feb. 9.--Music and
oratory or surprising quality were
heard today al the benefit for the Lin
coin Memorial university at Cumber-
land Gap. Md. held in the Metropol-
itan opera house. Preceding the open.
ing or the gathering parade was
held and a company OF United states
infantry headed By the military band
OF Governors Island marched up
Broadway. Major General Leonard
Wood was commandant OF the parade
and practically in charge or the en-
tire affair. Admiral Goodrich and his
stan from the Brooklyn navy yard
we're also present.
/ Samuel l.. Clemens MARX Twain
presided and number OF prominent
men were gathered upon the platform.
among them Frederick townsend Mar
! tin, president OF the Lincoln Centen.
Mai Endowment committee, Gen. q. ..
Howard, George X. Sheldon and many
others
The New York symphony orchestra,
| under the direction OF Walter Dam
rosch furnished the music.
The principal address was made
! by Miss Ida Tarbell. Other addresses
were delivered by Monsignor I.avelle,
Gen. .. .. Howard, Gen. James r.
OBeirne and others.
! Miss Tarbell took up the develop
ment OF Lincoln in her address, trac-
ing his career through his years OF
| peace and war. She said
The most in1nraesiva feature ~
the centenary which we are to o5-
serve in this country this week will
be the part in II which boys and girls
will play Everywhere In The land
north and southeast and west-in
great universities, in country school
houses, In fashionable girls schools
and in east side evening classes. some
kind OF Lincoln celebration has been
! provided
He Is the best of us--the best I'm
the way he looked at life-ftted him
self for it-lived II. No one need weep
! over the fact that Abraham Lincoln
was born in log hut was probably
sometimes hungry. did not have ac-
cess 10 a circulating library. He never
lamented
! He had hard beginning out OF
which he extracted many things: A
cheerful, sensible philosophy OF life.
a POWER OF clear and logical thinking.
command OF pure English superior
skill in estimating and handling men.
and capacity for steady growth.
/ Benjamin Franklin himself was not
/ a shrewder, kindlier philosopher nor
more generous with his counsels than
! Lincoln.
Among HIS letters Is a series TO a
hall brother, shiftless complaining
| fellow. The counsels are admirable
as one on the folly OF moving, as he
! proposed To do. because he was not
getting on where he was
Lincoln understood men. their capa-
/ city, their limitations, what could be
expected OF them and what could not
be. II was one OF his greatest ele-
n ents OF strength in the war. He gen
eIally saw nearly what he was going
to get. ana realized what he would
not get. but must supply from other
sources. III he knew man was cap
able OF rendering needed service h.
would never throw him over because
Of something he knew he could not ex-
pect of him. or because Of habits
which might be offensive TO him.
There are many examples OF this
same humorous upholding of a val
liable officer or official who had dis
tGrbed somebody's nerves or preju-
dices. Probably the most valuable to
the country was I.incOln's famous re-
ply 10 the scandalized citizen who
came 10 ask that Grant be relieved
because he drank, What kind OF
whisky does he drink" asked Lin
coin. Il should like To send some Of
our generals barrel Of the kind
Grant drinks"
Edward stanton was bitter in his
contempt for Lincoln later. but Lin
coin learned at Cincinnati when he
heard Stanton arguing case that
here was great lawyer, came to be-
lieve later that he was great patriot
ami brought him into his cabinet for
the sake OF the country. And stanton
and Chase and many another, that this
man OF awkward manners and queer
clothes was his master-absoluteiy
ami fnally-that he extracted from
them their best prevented their mis-
takes and directed their policy One
by one they all came. Seward and
stanton among the first. 10 say openly
and honestly: Here Is the best man
OF rs