Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-09

~, ,,,r 80 49, clear his mean
IE,p ropru, ing made use of
this figure:
go to the river bank with q coarse
sieve and ill it with gravel. After a
vigorous shaking you will observe that
the small pebbles and sand have sunk
from view and fallen to the ground.
The next larger in size. unable to slip
between the wires, will still be found
within the sieve BY thorough and
repeated shakings you will find that
Of the pebbles still left In the sieve
the largest ones will have risen to the
top. Now" he continued. IF, as you
say, war is inevitable and will shake
the country from center to circumfer-
ence. you will find that the little men
will fall out of view in the shaking.
The masses will rest on some solid
foundation, and the big men will have
| climbed to the top. OF these latter
one greater than all the rest will leap
forth armed and equipped-the peo-
| pies leader in the conflict"
How perfectly the history of the war
bore out the prophecy. the leader
| being himSelfi Poor Herndon, like
| others who lived too close to greatness.
| did not recognize one of the immortals,
| though rubbing elbows with him every
| day.
My own view of Lincoln l find in
| peculiar harmony with that which has
| grown up about him in the hearts of
| the common people. From the begin
ming the masses had truer conception
| of Lincoln's greatness than did the
leaders. l think the masses have a
truer concept Of him today than have
the leaders, the professed historians or
| any other of the assumed superior
minds. Whenever a man fancies him
| self better or wiser than the masses.
| that moment he gets out Of touch with
Abraham Lincoln. The plain people
he loved, and they loved him. There
was mutual understanding between
them. They were the ones who
i brought him forward, who elected
him to Office, who stood by him in oil
his trials. who held up his hands, who
swore by him when others were
swearing at him, who nominated and
elected him overwhelmingly for a Sec
ond term, and that II spite of the
leaders In both parties. and who
] grieved most profoundly for him In
) death. These were his real friends.
j would rather take their estimate Of
him than that of the Pharisees and
hypocrites. the holier-than-thous and
know-it-ails who profess to be more
competent to form judgments than
those they are pleased to call 1.-The
mob" Well. they can go on forming
!; their judgments. But the verdict on
Abraham Lincoln that will live will
be made by the common people.
Briefly put. this verdict is that Lin
coin was a prophet sent of God to save
the Union and end slavery. and when
his work was done he was called home
| Despite the sneers of the so called
wise. ] humbly announce that l am
convinced Of the substantial correct
ness of this view. Being convinced,
would be less than honest II did not
frankly say so. Every new light on
the man, every glimpse Of his pure
, and prophetic soul. adds to the convic-
l ton. The people are right. They
/ knew him all along History will write
}. his epitaph as they have written 1t al
s ready in their hearts, and 1t will con.
e. sist Of the essential thought here stated
1 Back Of his coarse exterior, of bis
( humble dress and ways. Lincoln was
o one Of the whitest. sweetest. creates,
2 souls that have come to earth. He be
8 ionged to the lowly, as do all the SUI
premely great. He was correct In his
/. life without uncharftableness, Of grea,
s intellect without dogmatism. Of the
:. deepest religion without Journalism OF
4 cant and with the finest idea Of justice
!. without harshness or severity. He wa.
n strong on every plane. IN body, MINI
e and spirit. yet his strength was EN-
v ployed chiefly to protect and uplift tn,
e weak. He had bulldog tenacity, We
e to others 1t appeared only in the xguis
v Of unwearying patience He was 1,
: the thick of conflict all his life, yet hi
n utterances are singulariy free frou
r. malicious statements concerning hi
:. enemies He had no extraneous help
mot from blood, wealth. education o
70 environment What he gained he du
T. out Of his books. out of the world an
a out Of himself. He was more than Z
self made man: he was nature mad
and God-made man who had not on
artificial thing about him.