The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-02-12

nDerator or the negro, the preserver OF
the republic. the incarnation Of democ-
racy, who has shown the world what
the full statured American will be )!
For the sake of these two Feb. IL,
1899. should be a far shining day.
In this same year occurred a not
able death. Thomas Paine, the
apostle of liberty in America, Eng
land and France, the real author or
the Declaration of Independence, one
of the founders Of the French revo-
luton and almost one of it's martyrs,
died in 1909, friendless and alone, Id
the country he had helped to hberate.
Paine tried to free mankind intel
lectually as we'll as politically and
thus gained the enmity of those who
loved either kind of chains, which
meant practically everybody. But the
day is coming and is not far distant
when the world will place him as
high as before it placed him low. That
is one of the laws of justice. Every
thing is balanced at last. The ig-
nominy placed on the name of Thomas
Paine at last will turn to refulgent
glory. for so it is written in the book
Of destiny.
The writings Of Paine had a great
and politics. In his younger days
Lincoln wrote a book unfolding the
ideas Of the age of Reason" and in
tended to have it published. but some
oyerzealous friend snatched it from
his hands and gave 1t to the flames.
But the thought could not be burned,
ard Herndon and all the other b.
ographers Of the martyr president who
knew him well state that he did not
materially change his views till the
day of his death.
1t was in the political domain, how
ever, where Paine Influenced Lincoln
most profoundly. AS one was the
author Of the Declaration Of indie
pendence, so the other became it's
defender and apostle. One of the
greatest pieces of eloquence that ever
fell from the emancipator's lips was in
support of this charter of the rights
of man.
Indeed, both Jefferson and Lincoln
were pupils of Paine, whom the world
will some day recognize as the founder
Of modern democracy. Jefferson
sullied his work by trying to steal
the honor due his teacher. Lincoln
was the truer and more honorable
soul and practiced the teachings of
the new political gospel with more
fidelity.
When Lincoln was born Paine was
about to take his deathbed and Jeffer-
son in three weeks would relinquish
the presidency. In Europe Napoleon
had reached his zenith and in a few
years would begin his downfall. The
steam engine was invented, and the
steamboat was launched, but nobody
knew what either meant. The world
had not awakened to modern progress,
but was stirring in it's sleep.
The particular corner of the earth in
which Lincoln saw the light was al
most virgin wilderness. Kentucky at
that time was not only frontier, but
raw frontier at that. It was nature
unmodifled and unadorned. 1t was
good fundamental stuff out of which
to make a man, provided the man was
fundamental enough and strong enough
to build himself out of such material.
1t takes bright soul to shine out
through a casing Of such environment
and such heredity.
But there has been a vast amount of
unintentional running down of Lin
COINS surroundings. His parents, rela-
tives, neighbors, education, associates
and even his wife have come in for a
share of the indirect abuse. This
course is both unnecessary and unjust.
Lincoln does not need to have his cir
cumstances or his people minimized in
order that he may seem great. Prob
ably they do not show we'll by the con-
trast, but that is not their fault. They
were fully as good as the average cir
cumstances and people of that time
The ordinary hill may look very insig-
AAAAA~oAoe OC0iuc IuOuuIdlu, Uul Tue I'LL
cannot help that
The Lincolns were poor, but so was
everybody else. Equality is a leaven
which leaves poverty not one-half sc
bitter Lincoln was born in a log
house with one room and dirt floor
but so was almost everybody else who
first saw light on the Kentucky from.
tier of that day. Ida Tarbell 'indig
nantly denies that Thomas Lincoln
Abraham's father, was the lazy loafel
ne has been pictured, and as that is the
more charitable view and as Miss Tar
Dell Is a woman l am going to side
with her. Miss Tarben also takes UP
the cudgels for Lincoln's mother, and
as there are two women in this case ]
side with her more than ever. More
over. fair investigation shows that
the charitable view Is the right one
Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln
were an honorable, self respecting and
industrious couple fully up to the aver.
age or above the average Of the time
In which they lived.
The same thing applies to Lincoln's
environment. It was not bad: it was
only crude. All these things are com.