The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-02-13
CORNERSTONE Of
MEMORIAL LAID
ROOSEVELT DELIVERS ELOQUENT
TRIBUTE AT LINCOLN
BIRTHPLACE.
5000 PEOPLE PRESENT
Former Governor Folk One Of the
Orators-Both Races, Political
Parties, North and South
j Mingled.

Hodgenville, Ky, Feb. 12.-Hence'
forth the birthplace Of Abraham Lin.
coin will be marked with pile OF
stone. The emancipation Of a race,
and, more than that, the liberator Of
the though of nation, bnided his
own monument in the heart of the
wcrld and appropriately the physical
structure which has now found a be-
ginning at the place where Lincoln
first saw the light, takes the simpler
name of memorial 1t is to be a
simple, but classic building of granite
and IL is hoped that it may be com
pleted some time next fail, when the
then President Taft will officiate at
the dedicating of it as the present
President Theodore Roosevelt today
offciated in the laying of its founda.
tion stone
The Speakers.
The corner stone laying took place
after appropriate forensic ceremonies
which were participated in by resi-
dent Roosevelt, Governor Wilson OF
Kentucky, former governor Folk of
Missouri, president Of the Lincoln
Farm Association; Secretary of War
Wright, who spoke as an e-confeder-
ate soldier; General James Grant VII.
son, of New York, who represented
the Union soldier; I. T. Montgomery,
of Mississippi, a negro and an ex-
slave.
With one exception, the orators rep
resenting not only the conflicting
sides in the great struggle but the pres
ent generation as well; the two polit-
ical parties and the white and black
races as well as different sections of
the country. spoke from the same
platform and with the same flag flut-
tering over them. There were six
of eight thousand people present
Negroes and Whites Mingled.
Many had come from Louisville and
other Kentucky centers, as well as
from away states. The bulk of the
assembly was composed, however
OF the country folk. There was a no.
table absence of negroes in the crowd
but those present were wedged in
among the whites showing that none
had been kept away by prejudice.
The exercises were conducted un-
der a wide spreading, open sided
tent, which had been erected along
side the cabin in which Lincoln was
born. one hundred years ago today.
President Roosevelt and party ar.
minutes afterwards Governor Wilson
called the assemblage together and
introduced Rev. Dr. +. l.. Powell of
the First Christian church of Louis.
Vile, who delivered a prayer
On the speakers platform besides
the participants in the exercises were
Mrs. Roosevelt, Miss Roosevelt. Mrs.
Augustus E. Wilson, Captain A. w.
Butt, DR.. Rixey and others. Commenc-
ing with Governor Wilson's address
tho speaking began at one O'Clock and
was concluded by 2;45 aud a few min |
utes afterwards the visitors had be. |
gun their carriage ride back to Hodg. |
enville.
Folks Address.
Former Governor Folk. of Missouri. |
spoke in part as follows:
The people of every great nation |
have in all times honored their
heroes vita memorials In studying
the history of other people We Judge |
them by these tokens of affection for |
the illustrious men that lei them in |
some mighty crisis. This nation has |
had many men whose deeds have
emblazonei the pages of history. but |
no name is now dearer i'm tne hearts |
of the people than that of Abraham |
Lincoln. Washington fought TO give
us this nation; guaranteeing rights |
10 the citizen. never obtained nor ex- |
ercissd by any other people: Lin
coin struggled to keep il as a gov
eminent Of the people. for the peo-
pie and by the people jefferson |
taught the simple truths necessary
for tne happiness of a democratic |
people: Lincoln applied these truths
to the troubles Of his time aud |
steered the ship Of state into a |
peaceful harbor. Jackson thunderedl
against and Overcame the evils Of /
his day: Lincoln with a heart ready
for any fate. breathei a new forcel
into the doctrines Of Jackson. We
preserved Mount Vernon in memory /
Of Washington. Monticello is sill /
the Mecca for the followers of JEFF
fersOn. Toe Hermitage is kept as
when Old Hickory lived and worked !
and wrought Save for an occasional 4
monument. there is no suitable
memorial Of Lincoln. whose fame
grows brighter as the years 90 bv.
IT il appropriate that these deli
cation exercises. participated in BY