The Detroit times., 1909-02-09
LING OIL Ms AC is
ARE LAUOEO BY
MISS TARbELL
AUTHOR Is PRINCIPAL SPEAKER
AT BENEFIT FOR MEMORIAL uN.
vERSiTY-MARk TWAIN PRR
SIDES AT THE MEETING.

NEW YORK, FeD. S.-Nuslc anu
oratory OF surprising quality were
heard today at the benefit for the Lin
coin Memorial university at Cumber-
land Gap, Md, held in the Metropol.
itan opera house. Preceding the open
ing Of the gathering parade was
held and company OF United States
infantry headed by the military band
OF Governors Island marched up
Broadway. Major General Leonard
Wood was commandment OF the parade
and practically in charge Of the en-.
tire affair. Admiral Goodrich and his
stan from the Brooklyn navy yard
were also present.
Samuel l.. Clemens MARK Twain
presided and a number of prominent
men were gathered upon the platform.
among them Frederick Townsend Mar
tin, president of the Lincoln Centen-
NAL Endowment committee, Gen. o. ..
Howard. George r. 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 Lavelle,
Gen. o. o. Howard, Gen. James r.
O'Beirne 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:
"rhe most impressive feature OF
the centenary which we are to OBJ
serve In this country this week will
be the part in It which boys and girls
will play. Everywhere In the land
north sand 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 In
the way he looked at life--fitted him.
self for it--lived IT, No one need weep
over the fact that Abraham Lincoln
Was born In q log hut, was probably
sometimes hungry, did not have ac-
cess to a circulating library. He never
lamented.
He had a hard beginning out OF
which he extracted many things: A
cheerful, sensible philosophy OF life.
a power Of clear and logical thinking,
a command of pure English, superior
skill in estimating and handling men.
and capacity for steady growth.
Benjamin Franklin himself was not
shrewder, kindlier philosopher nor
more generous with his counsels than
Lincoln
Among his letters is a series to
half 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-
ments OF strength In the war. He gen.
orally saw nearly what he was going
to get, and realized what he would
not get, but must supply from other
sources. III he knew man was cap
able OF rendering needed service he
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.
"Tkefe- are many examples OF this
same humorous upholding OF val
liable officer or official, who had dis
turbed somebody's nerves or preju-
dices. Probably the most valuable to
the country was Lincoln's famous re-
ply 10 the scandalized citizen who
came to 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 a case that
here was a great lawyer. came to be-
lieve later that he was a great patriot
and 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-absolutely
and flnally--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. TO say openly
| and honestly: Here Is the best man
of us ""