Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-01

that our country should be In deed as we'll
as In name devoted 10 both union and free
dom. that the great experiment Of demo-
cratic government. hen IA, national scale
should succeed and NOT fall. It was a heroic
struggle; and, as is inevitable with all such
struggles 1t had also darn and terrible
side. Very much was done OF good, and
much also of evil and, as was Inevitable in
such a period OF revolution. often the same
man did both good and evil For our great
good fortune as a nation, We the people OF
the United States as a whole can now af-
ford to forget the evil, or at least to re-
member It without bitterness. and to fix our
eyes with pride on the good that was &C
eomplished. Even in ordinary times there
are very few of us who do not see the prob
lens Of life as through a glass, darkly;
and when the glass is couded by the murk
Of furious popular passion the vision of the
best and the bravest IS dlfnmed. Looking
back, we are all OF US now able to do jus
tice to the valor and the dlslnterestedness
and the love of the right, as to each It was
given to see the right, shown both by the
men OF the north and theL1nen. OF the south
in that contest which was finally decided
by the attitude Of the west. We can admire
the heroic valor. the sincerity the self
devotion shown alike by the men who wur.
the blue and the men who wore the gray;
and our sadness that such men should have
TO fight one another is tempered by the
glad knowledge that ever thereafter their
descendants shall be found fighting side by
side, struggling in peace as we'll as in war
for the uplift OF their common country
ali Alike resolute to raise to the highest
pitch Of honor and usefulness the nation, to
which they all belong. AZ for the veterans
of the Grand Army OF the Republic, they
deserve honor and recognition such as is
paid to no other citizens Of the republic;
for to them the republic owes its all, for
to them it owes its very existence.
Lessons from BrOwBspAd Lincoln.
do not speak of this Struggle of the
past merely from the history standpoint.
our interest is primarily n-the application
today of the lessons taught by the contest
OF half a century ago. It's Of little-use for
us to pay lip loyalty to. the mighty men
Of the past unless we sincerely endeavor to
apply to the probsflk re thespresent pre-
ciseIy the qualities .fWhinlrN ~ othsrs crises
enabled the men pfthAt sdayTJo meet these
crises. 1t is hSlf meisnchoiy and half
amusing to see the, weysin which we'll
meaning people gather TO do honor to the
men who, in coISpany with John Brown,
and under the lead of Abraham Lincoln,
faced and solved tlie, great problems Of the
nineteenth century, while at the same time
these same goodspAopie, neryqusly shrink
from or frantcaily dAA0unce those who are
tryingl TO meet the bfobiems Of the TWEEN.
tieth IN the spirit which Was accountable
for the successful solution of the problems
Of Linooln's time.
OF that generation of meE, TO whom We
owe so much, the man to whom we owe ths
most is, Of course. Lincoln. Part OF oul
debt TO him is because he forecast our pres
ent struggle and saw the way out. He said
II hold that while man exists 1t is his
duty to improve not only his own condition
but to assist in amellorating manlind." And
again, Labor Is prior TO and Independent
Of capital; capital is5only the fruit OF labor
and could never have existed but for labor
Labor is the superior OF capital and de
serves much the higher consideration
Capital has its rights which are as worth,
Of protection as any other rights,
Nor should this lead to a war upon tn,
owners OF property. Property is the frui
Of labor; property is desirable; is a positive
good in the world. Let not him who Il
houseless pull down the house Of another
but let him work diligently and build on
for himself thus by example showing tina
his own shall be safe from violence whei
built" 1t seems to me that In these word
Lincoln took substantially the. attitude tina
we ought TO take; he showed the prope
sense OF protection in his relative esti
mates of capital al labor, of human right
and property rights. Above all, in thi
speech. as in many others. he taught les
son In wise kindiiness and charity; an indis
psnsible lesson to US Of today. . But thu
wise kindness akd charity never weakene'
his arm or numbed his heart We canno
afford weakly 70 blind ourselves to tn
actual conflict which faces US today. Tn
issue is Joined, and we must fight or fall
In every wise struggle for human better
ment one OF tha main objects and ofte
the only object has been 10 achieve 4
larger measure ehuality OF opportunity. Il
the struggle for this great end, nations ris
from barbar ism to civilization. and throug
It peoples press forward from one stage O
enlightenment To the next. One OF thei
chief factors In progress Is the dektructio
OF special privilege. The essence OF an
struggle for healthy liberty has Away
been and must always be to take from som
one man or classiof men the right to ento
power, or wealth, or position. or IMMUNITY
which has not been earned By service to hi
or their fellows
Battle witt special interests.
At many staged in the advance OF human
lty this conflict between the men Who pc,
sebs more than they have earned and N
men who have earned more than they poi
sess Is the GENITAL condition. Of progress
In our day Il appears as the struggle
free men TO gainsahd hold the Hight OF sell
government as aBainst the special interest
who twist the niethods OF free governmei
into machinery Tor defeating the popul'
will. At every Gage and under all ercun
stances the essJhce OF the struggle Is
squalSe opportunity, destroy privilege, ar
give 20 the lite And citizenshlp OF every Il
aividual the highest possible value both
himself and to che commonwealth.
Practical euuatity OF opportunity for
citizens, when We achieve IL. viii have 1,
great results. first every Hlahfswill ma
q fair chance d make OF himself all III
In him lies. 70 peach the highest point
which his capacities, unSssisted by spec
privilege OF his own fand .unhampered
the special priy1ieess, 81 Others. can car
him. and TO get OBJ. himself and his fam
substantially what he has earned, seeot
equality of opportunity means that I
49, 'f'eysf-