The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-12
Impressive Ceremony at Spot Where Martyr
 President Was Born 100 Years Ago.
REPRESENTATIVES, FROM
 NORTH AND SOUTH JOIN
 IN IGNORING HIS MEMORY
An Immense Throng Witnesses the Exercises=Speeches by Governors Folk, Wilson, Generals Wright and Wilson and by President Roosevelt

structure which have traveled about l the country were taken out of the Louisville warehouse and put together on the original site where they will | now stand sheltered by their marble | temple.
 The cabin and the Lincoln Spring l nearby were decorated with National colors. Every visitor wanted drink at the spring and the crowd had to form a line, each waiting his turn. A stone has been built over this spring
 which still flows as copiously as ever.
 Many of the visitors stopped at Hod- genville on their way to the farm to
 see the site of the Lincoln statue for | which Congress appropriated $1O,00C and LAarue County $260O 0and which will be unveiled the latter part of May.
 Of the memorial hall itself all they beheld was the beginning of the foun- dation which is of concrete.
 Aside from the Speakers the guests
 of honor were Mrs John Harding of
 Louisville, a half sister of Mrs. Abra-
 ham Lincoln and Robert Collier of
 New York who have purchased the
 Lincoln farm. Not only was section
 al feeling plotted out to-day but an ef-
 fort at least was made to forget race
 and political prejudice. A committee
 of twenty-s1x negro citizens of Ken
 lucky appointed by Governor Wilson
 were present on the reception commit
 tee. The Democratic and Republican
 state committees made the trip to Hodgenville together.
 The centenary was observed all over the section. In accordance with Gov ernor Wilson's suggestion many com munities held public meetings at which the first inaugural addresses were read. The businessmen of Hodgenville made up a large part of the crowds which came for the celebration. The charge for the round trip to the Lin- coin Farm was fixed at S1 and ten cents was the limit for a cup of coffee or a sandwich. Nearly the entire pop ulation of Hodgenville has gone tenn porarily into the hotel and restaurant business. Everywhere was exemplified a spirit of Kentucky hospitality.
 Governor Folk. as president of the National Lincoln Farm Association. opened the speech making. The lay ing of the cornerstone and President Roosevelt's address followed. Cover nor Wilson of Kentucky and Secre- tary Wright followed in the order named and Bishop Galloway of Missis- sippi pronounced the benediction.
 Governor Wilson said in part:
 The Presidents address will be found in another column.
 ITO, the President of the United States: The Commonwealth of Ken lucky. one of the first twin daughters of the Union and all of her people gives most cordial salute and welcome and not less to Theodore Roosevelt. First Citizen. loved. trusted. and honored, but to all the people of the Union rep resented by your distinguished guests and to the men of the Lincoln Farm Association we give greeting. We are glad to have YOU with us in Kentucky and in all the inspirations and associa- tiOnS of this time and place.
 hoy oi1 Co where he was born. in memory of Abraham Lincoln to know for our selves and prove to the world that a 1 record made to endure and deep gray l en on the acres. that the love of coun- try and of it's nobly useful citizens are | deed living. stirring and breathing l feelings
 Abraham Lincoln is claimed by all l humanity and all time as the type of 1 the race best showing forth the best | in all men in all conditions of life. Our 1 of the whole Union and Illinois says, He was mine. the man of Illinois. On 1 my prairies he ripened into noble man. hood and here he made his home.'
 Indiana too says. He was mine. In l my southern sections the child grew l tall and strong Each is quite true. But Kentucky says. T am his own ! mother. I nursed him at my breast; my baby. born to me. He is mine.' 1 Shall any claim come before the moth er?"
 Secretary of War Wright paid an tribute to Lincoln's under standing of the people of the South. He called attention to the fact that Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were born in the same State.
 "In reading the public utterances of MT. Lincoln during the period of bit ter discussion, nothing has impressed me more than the singular clearness of his perception that the responsibil- Ity rested on all alike,' said the Sec retary. There were a. temperance of respect for the opposite point of view and a moderation in speech at the time of great excitement that was extraordinary. He sincerely believed that slavery was coarse and ! great moral wrong; and in believing r thus he was right. He was opposed not only to the extension but believed hat the gradual emancipation was possibility worth striving for; and yet ae respected the Constitution and did not believe in the right to extinguish slavery os his own accord
 And the men of the South can now ook upon a lost cause without bit -erness. The people of the Nation join them in honoring the memory of he 1iberator.'