Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-13

never, until Lincoln, true son of the
people.
"a democracy breeds, as does every
form of government and of social or
sanization, many an unlovely charac-
ter, and, as in every other form of So |
ciety, they sometimes come te the |
front and into the limelight. 1t Is |
unpleasant, but no cause for despair, |
to find them there
But when from the very undisting-
uished herd of men in a democracy
We see. in time of supreme peril, Il /
man step forth, unlearned save. as he |
has taught himself, earnest, not bril-
liant, true, not dashing, without as
sumption of superiority or symptom of
disdain for the humblest of his broth
ers-a plain, simple, honest, manly
citizen-looking at all men alike with
the level eyes of intelligence and mod
est self-reliance-and see that man
| become the leader of the people 10
great heights of sacrifice, endeavor,
and accomplishment and through it
Jail remain the unpretending, plain, un-
i. assuming citizen still, allied to the
masses intimately and warmly, rich in
saving common sense, rugged honesty
and patient perseverance = drawing
/ gradually the hearts of all the plain
people to him with sympathetic feel
| ing, because he is OF them, because
he understands them. because he ap-
preciates and eSteemS them, anil al
ways remains within sight and touch
.of them, then we know that demo-
crazy has triumphed; that a govern
ment of the people, for the people, aud
by the people need never perish from
the earth!
"Such a man was Lincoln; such the
crisis he met; such the way he met it.
He triumphed and with him, in the
greatest test of modern civilization,
triumphed the democratic spirit and
experiment.
| Fitting, therefore, is it that tonight.
alike in the great cities and in the
lonely hamlets of America. from Sandy
Hook to the Golden Gate, from the
headwaters of the Mississippi to the
everglades of Florida; alike. in those
sections of the country that supported
Abraham Lincoln in his great task.
and in those which with malice to
lone, with charity for all, but with
firmness in the right as God gave him
/, to see the right he was obliged to
confront in arms-the plain people of
our great democracy are celebrating
in varied ways, but all in the same
spirit, the centennial anniversary of
his birth. For it is in no mere spirit
of hero worship that it is done, in no
idolatty to be "A Savior of Society
1t is in no such frame of mind that
arches and statues have been reared,
that schools ana colleges and churches
have gathered theiE> members to lis
ten to the story Of his life, that arm
les and navies, are parading in his
honor
Memory Honored Everywhere.
This universal memorial has
higher source. 1t is the tribute of
affections and reverence to the mem
DRY and fame of one who, in his per-
son. proved fhe inherent strength
and enduring power. of free demo-
crazy and furnished inspiration AMI
faith for its triumphant. future march
"Of the principal thought that l
would put in words to you tonight,
have finished the. expression-but al
though It seems superfiuous-in the
rich flow at this time in the public
press and on the lecture platform and
in memoir and biography of remin-
iscences and anecdotes and character
izatiOns of lincoln can not forbear
to illustrate as briefly as | may, the
simplicity and democracy of this I'M
lpretentious citizen. I know not de-
clared son of Massachusetts, whose
name and fame l cherish, what record
of sin or folly may meet me in the
other world; but this / do know-that
l never was mean enough to despise
a man because he was poor, or because
he was ignorant, or because he was
black.'
Was True Democrat.
1T would never have occurred to
abraham Lincoln to say that, because
: 1t would have never occurred to him
that he was tempted to such contempt
Horace Greeley said of him: No VIC
man nor child, white or black, bond
Tor free, virtuous or vicious. reached
q forth hand to Abraham Lincoln and
detected in his countenance or man
ner any repugnance or shrinking fron
1.-The proffered contact, any assumption
x of superior or betrayal of disdain!'
5, This marks the true democrat-tht
n instructive believer in the brother
= hood of man!
/. MY FRIEND said Lincoln, to one
II who spoke of another as a common
O looking fellow, the Lord prefers com
II mon looking people; that is why h
II made so many of them
Il like to think of Lincoln, return
!, ing after his short congressional tern