Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1909-03-04
ADDRESS pELIVERED IN RIVERVIEW SCHOOL
HOUSE ON THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVER.
SARY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN


aged to successfully put IL down.
As for a personal description OF our
sixteenth President; he was very tall,
lank, his face was gaunt, his features
were good and strong, he had an in
tense facial expression, and his man
ners We're impressive and command
Ing. He was a man of judgment,
reason, and power. He was a man OF
free, high, genuine. generous man
I ood. In his speeches there was cog
ent argument, apt illustrations. espe-
cially emphatic phrases, sentences of
fire, there was touches of humor and
ether qualities which produce con-
spoke for man. for right. and for
progress. lie spoke for freedom of
labor and he was the foe of humah
slavery, which is proven in a sentence
taken from one of his great speeches
Liberty before property; the man be-
fore the dollar" He at all times ad-
viscd laborers to organize for their
own protection.
From another speech we learn THAI
the great emancipator stood not only
for the emancipation of men but also
of the women. And from his speech
is as follows: II go for all sharing
the privileges of government who as
sist in bearing its burdens. Conse-
qucntly, l go for admitting all to ths
right OF suffrage who pay taxes or
bear arms. by no means excludin.;
the females
Lincoln is today. in the estimation
of very many the most remarkable
man the republic ever produced, pos
sessing the executive ability of Wash
ington, the statesmanship of jefferson.
the hrmness and stability of Jackson,
and humanity OF Thomas Painee.
In 1856 this greatest of statesmen,
whom the republican party considers,
or at least claims To consider its
idyl, made the following predictin:
IL see in the near future a crisis
approaching which unnerves me.
and causes me to tremble for the
safety of my country. AS result OF
war. corporations have been enthroa-
ed. and an era of corruption I'm high
places will follow. and the money
power Of the country will endoavor to
prolong their reign by working on the
prejudiccs of the people, until all the
wealth is aggregated in a few hands.
and the republic is destroyed.
feel at this moment more anxiets
for the safety of our country than ever
before. even in the midst of war. Go.
granted that my forebodings may be
groundless. Monarchy itself is some-
times limited at as refuge from the
power of the people. In my present
position / could scarcely be justified
were / to unit TO raise a warnin';
voice against the approach OF re-
turning depotism. IL is not needed for
fitting here that a general argument
should be made i'm favor of popular
institutions; but there is one point
with its connections not so hackneyeI
as most others. to which ask brief at
tention. IL is assumed that labor is
available only in connection with capt
tai, somehow, by the use of it, induce
him To labor. Labor is prior to and
independent OF capital. Capital is only
the fruit OF labor, and could not
have existed IL labor had not first eX-
listed Labor is the superior OF capt.
tai. and deserves much the higher con-
sideration. I bid the laborlng people
beware of surrendering the power
which they possess. and which, IL sur.
rendered, will surely be used to shut
the door of advancement for such as
they. and fix new disabilities and bur
dens upon them until all of liberty
shall be lost.
"In the early days of our racs
the Almighty said to the first man
kind. In the sweat of thy face shalt
we except the light and air of heaven,
no good thing has been or can be en-
joyed by us without having first cost
labor. And inasmuch as most good
things have been produced by labor.
II follows them. But II has so hap
pened. in all ages OF he world. that
some have labored and others have
without labor enjoyed a large por-
ton of the fruits. This is wrong AMI
should not continue. To secure 10
each laborer the whole product of his
labor. as nearly as possible, is n
worthy object of any government.
at seems strange that any man
should dare to ask Just Gods assist
ance In wringing bread from other
mems faces.
This country, with Its institutions,
belongs to the people who inhabit It,"
The foregoing shows 10 any intellI-