The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-03-04

Is not fair True. that early extrava-
gance did almost bankrupt the state.
But who could have foreseen the panic
Of 1897? The people demanded these
internal improvements. elected their
representatives on that sort Of plat
form. and in the legislature itself
there was practical unanimity in push
ing these bills. The purpose was good
| 1t grew out of the right spirit-that Of
| optimism and construction. The only
! trouble was that the Illinois legislators
/ Of that early day were not high tinan-
ciers and had net learned how to water
! stock Lincoln never did know any
| thing about finance. either public or
private. But he always belonged to
the constructive side and placed the
! nation above self. and that is more
! than most financial experts can boast.
In his last two legislatures Lincoln
was the Whig candidate for speaker.
which made him the minority leader
Of the house He was on Important
committees and was regarded not only
as one of the most convincing debat-
| ers of the body. but. better still. as one
Of it's most effective working members.
| His service in congress did not begin
! till 1S47. six years after he left the
legislature. That it was SO long de-
/ layed was not his fault. He tried to
! get in earlier. but there were too many
other able and ambitious men in his
district. AS a result three or four of
| AoIv sf,pr oh M
Lincoln's turn came last.
If Abraham Lincoln had remained in
congress more than one term he would
have become a leader, just as he had
been in the legislature. 1t requires
long service to gain prominence in
either house in Washington. Mr.. Lin
coin was much more to the front than
the average new member. He gained
| fame as debater and a wit, his
speeches were made campaign docu-
ments, he was soon known as the best
: story teller in congress. and he was
winning his way in more solid and
| substantial things. Like most of the
conscientious Wings Of his. day. how
! ever, he was not in full accord with
!
good American statesmen have COM
mitted political harakiri by opposing
some Of Uncle Sans wars. In this
very struggle Thomas Corwin. one of
! the greatest stump orators in Ameri-
| can history. prepared the oven for his
| political cremation. Nor was he the
only one. Lincoln himself was forced
out Of public life for practically ten
! years That he survived and was able
! to re-enter at all showed his hold on
| the people of Illinois. His district.
which had been Wbig. was changed
permanently to Democratic. We preach
and practice free speech in this coun-
| try-eXcept in wartime. This is one
reason why the sooner war Is ended
forever the better Anything that pre-
vents liberty of thought and express
sion is false thing.
Lincoln's chief sin against the genius
of the Mexican war was In the intro
duction of what were known as the
"spot" resolutions. The reason he
could not be forgiven for them was
| that they could not be answered. They
| put the administration in hole, a sit
] uation in which no administration likes
| to be. The Mexican war is a period in
| our national history concerning which
most patriotic students do not care to
be too inquisitive. l generally try to
skip it myself-not the fighting mean.
but the causes that led up to it. The
! fighting was rather one sided. but was
glorious from our viewpoint. But as
| for the things that produced it-well.
why not talk about something else?
One Of Lincoln's most famous
speeches in congress was that in which
he exploited General Cass as a mill
tary hero. 1t belonged to the order
| Of campaign stump speeches, but was
good of its kind. The relation of cam
| paign speeches to real oratory is about
the same as that Of campaign songs to
! real poetry. In fact, the average cam
paign as it has been conducted is
peculiar combination Of mendacity. pet
tifogging and barroom wit. This is its
| public aspect. The inside part Of 1t
would usually put somebody into the
penitentiary if it were public. Cheap
! adulation Of our candidate and cheap
1 abuse Of the other have been the rule
Fortunately we are beginning to es-
J cape from the crassest features Of the
thing. In Lincoln's day they were at
] their height That was not his fault
The tool Of campaign oratory he took
as he found it and used it effectualIy.
In this particular General Cass
| speech Lincoln recounted his own ex-
ploits in the Black Hawk war His
manner Of handling the subject showed
a great and redeeming virtue-he did
not take himself too seriously.
| To understand Mr.. Lincoln both in
this earlier part Of his career and at
| later period it must be borne in mind
that in the best sense Of the term he
was politician. This was true of him
as Whig and later as Republican.
| Nor should it be forgotten that Mr..
| Lincoln was party man. He In
sisted on organization and on strength
| eninp the narty at every DoSSfhle