The Detroit times., 1910-02-14
GOVT BY PARTIES
IS GREATEST JOKE
James SchermerhOrn Says Lincoln's
Drollery Alone Could Take Of
Country's Political Predioament.

BIN IN HARBOUR, req. IL
James Schermerhorn. publisher of the
Detroit Times. was the principal
speaker al a Lincoln night banquet
given by the Brotherhood OF the
Methodist church last night He con
sidered the great hborator as A man
OF sOrrows and acquainted with
mirth There was large attend
ance that reished particularly the
speakers treatment OF present poliu-
cal leaders and problems IN the light
OF Lincoins drolery MIR Schermer-
horn said in part. alter tracing
parallel between the TWO great Men
of SUrrows-the savior OF the world
and the savior OF the nation:
NO mirth meets the faithful
searcher OF the scriptures, although
YOU cannot keep mirthfulness out OF
the modern Interpretation OF sacred
chronicle But the inspired word H.
self is privileged from jest From the
nativity 10 the cruclhXiOn II is a
solemn recital. dealing with the great
est OF tragedies. IL eliminated In the
shortest but most meaningrul state
ment OF the Bible; Jesus wept.
Here occurs the divergence be
tween the divine and human, between
the man OF SORROWS who was acquaint'
ed with grief and the man OF sorrows
who was acquainted with mirth.
Jesus wept Against this simple
yet sublime revealment OF the Savior
changeless anguish We place the dis.
closure OF the maTtyred president
humanity. the perfection of his title
as the typical American, the emOodi-
maut OF its temper and its Ideals
Lincoln laughed
Appreciation of the droll and
ludiCrous. a capacity for narration
and application. We're attractive eIe-
ments in the character OF n" hrst
American For the blending OF many
bloods and racial traits IN the ma
tional character has secured for MS
the saving grace OF humor, an in
stanteous response TO the absurd and
grotesuue Lincoln the lOwly-Oorn, the
country postmaster. storekeeper ana
LAWYER. stands in history as the finest
example OF the national tendency To-
ward ightheartedness, a happy cour-
terbalauce for our commercial IN
tensity
blend Of mtrth and sadness smiles
4 Quaint knisht errant OF the pioneers,
4 homely hero. born OF star ana sod'
peasant prince, "a masterpiece OF Goa
He was man OF sorrows and ac-
quainted with mirth, Any review OF
the attributes OF this many-sided
American that leaves out his love OF
anecdote and his use OF parable, not
for laugh-provoking buffoonery, but 10
clinch a point and end controversy
would be sadly incomplete.
Lincoln. with that discernment
that was one OF his rare gifts, realized
that there is a ministry OF mirth as
well as ministry OF sorrow, that
there Is usage OF wit as well as a
usage OF counsel and reproof Mirth
relieved but did not dominate the
care.hlled days of his public steward
ship.
He was not a smiling president;
hut now and then a moment of play
fulness pushed the encompassing
shadows back from his over-burdened
soul and relieved the pathetic, strain
ed and wistful aspect OF his coun-
tenance.
He held M through all the tragic
they would find him in the cabinet
room reading ARENAS Ward and Pc
troleum V Nasty. Maybe that Is
one reason why foreign ministers set
him down as clod.
And sometimes he told stories
not so much 10 provoke a litter az
70 round out or bring home his con
tention. or 70 dispose Of an annoving
visitor or controversiaiist That Is
why. maybe his detractors harshly
STYLED him a babboon.
1T is as true now as when Dean
Swift said 1t, that no great genius
ever appears in the world but that
all the ounces are in confederacy
against him.
Lincoln was acquainted with mirth
but IL was not the evil association
that corrupts good manners. He was
not capable Of the low grade OF levity
which the shallow and the vulgar