The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-02-12

Hodgenville, Kentucky, Birthplace of
Lincoln, is the Gathering Place today
of National Figures Who Assist in the
Dedication of the Lincoln Memorial---
Roosevelt, Wright, Folk, Speakers.

the prophetic imagination usually
vouchsafed only to the poet and the
seer. He had in him all the lift
toward greatness of the visionary,
without any of the visionary's fan
atheism or egotism, without any of
the visionary's narrow jealousy of
the practical man and ability TO
strive in practical fashion for the
realization of an ideal. He had the
practical mans hard common sense
and willingness to adapt means tc
ends; but there was in him none of
that morbid growth of mind and soul
which blinds so many practical men
to the higher things of life. No more
practical man ever lived than this
homely backwoods idealist; but ne
had nothing in common with these
practical men whose consciences are
warped until they fail to distinguish
between good and evil, fail to under
stand that strength, ability, shrewd-
ness, whether in the world of bust
ness or of politics, only serve to make
| their pOssessOr asmOre noxiOus,
more evil member of the community.
| If they are not guided and controlled
by fine and high moral sense.
We of this day must try to solve
many social and industrial problems,
requiring to an especial degree the
combination of indomitable resolu-
ton with cool-headed sanity. We can
profit by the way in which Lincoln
used both these traits as he strove
for reform. We can learn much of
value from the very attacks which
following that course brought upon
his head, attacks alike by the ex-
tremists of revolution and by the ex-
tremists of reaction. He never wa
vered in devotion to his principles.
in his love for the Union, and in his
adherence of slavery Timid and
lukewarm people were always de-
nouncing him because he was too
extreme; but as matter of fact he
never went to extremes, he worked
step by step; and because of this the
extremists hated and denounced him
with a fervor which now seems to
us fantastic in it's dedication of the
unreal and the impossible. At the
very time when one side was hold
ing him up as the apostle Of social
revolution because he was against
slavery, the leading abolitionists de-
nounced him as the "slave hound OF
Illinois, When he was the second
time candidate for president, the
majority of his opponents attacked
hi mbecause of what they termed his
extreme radicalism, while a minority
threatened to bolt his nomination
because he was not radical enough.
He had continually to check those
who wished to go forward too fas--,
at the very time that he OVERRIDE
the opposition of those who wished
not to go forward at all. The goal
was never dim before his vision; but
he picked his way cautiously, with
out either halt or hurry, as he strobe
toward it, through such morass OF
difficulty that no man of less courage
would have attempted 1t, while 1t
would surely have overwhelmed any
man of judgment less serene.
| Yet perhaps the most wonderful
thing of all, and, from the standpoint
of the American of today and OF the
future, the most vitality important.
was the extraordinary way In which
Lincoln could fight valiantly against
what he deemed wrong and yet pre-
serve undiminished his love and res
pect for the brother from whom he
differed In the hour of triumph
that would have turned any weaker
mans head, in the heat of strug-
gle which spurred many good man
! to dreadful vindictiveness, he said
! truthfully that so long as he had
/ been in his Office he had never will
ingly planted a thorn in any mans
bosom, and besought his supporters
| to study the incidents of the trial
through which they were passing as
philosophy from which to learn wis
dom and not as wrongs to be aveng-
ed; ending with the solemn exhorta-
ton that, as the strife was over, all
should reunite in common effort to
save their common country.
He lived in days that were great
and terrible, when brother fought
against brother for what each sin
cerely deemed to be the right. In
a contest so grim the strong men
who alone can carry it through are
rarely able to do justice to the deep
convictions Of those with whom they
grapple in mortal strife. At such
times men see through glass dark
ly; to only the rarest and Hottest
spirits is vouchsafed that clear WIS.,
ion which gradually comes to all,
even to the lesser. as the struggle
fades into distance, and wounds are
forgotten, and peace creeps back to
the hearts that were hurt. But to
Lincoln was given this supreme VS.
ion. He did not hate the man from