Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-03-11
REPUBLICAN ESTIMATE OF LINCOLN
Los ANGELES, March ), 1910.

Los ANGELES, March ), 1910.
ED. STANDARD.
As we have just passed the birth
day of Abraham Lincoln (Feb. ~,
perhaps the greatest statesman of /
the age, and the man whom the d. o.
p. eXtOls above all other men, il seems
fitting time to inquire what man.
rRr of man he was and ascertain how
his ideas of government conformed
with modern Repuhlicanism. Listen
to some of the sentiments of this
wonderful man-this man of the
people. On one occasion he declared:
| have never had a feeling, politi-
cally, that did not spring from the
sentiments embodied in the Declara-
tion of independence" On another
occasion he rebuked those who. in the
discussion of public questions. gave
no concern whatever to the rights Of
men. He said: why this deliber-
ate pressing out OF view the rights OF
men and the authority of the people?
This is essentially a peoples contest.
On the side of the Union. it is a
struggle for maintaining in the world
that form and substance of govern
ment whose leading object is to ele-
vate the condition of man; to lift ar
titicial weights from all shoulders; to
clear the paths of laudable pursuits
for all; to afford all an unfettered
start and fair chance in the race of
life. Will any man have the audac-
ity to tell me that all men have a fair
chance in the race of life with compe-
tition virtually eliminated by private
monopoly, which, as Bryan saws
is indefensible and intolerable"?
Lincoln pleaded for the preservation
of the constitution, declaring: '.The
people of these United States are the
rightful masters of the Congress and
courts, not to overthrow the consti-
tuition, but to overthrow the men
who pervert the constitution.
Now, if the people are the rightful
masters Of Congress and courts, what
about the domination of such men as
Aldrich and Cannon and the plutoc-
racy in general What about our
Supreme Courts that have decided
adversely against the wishes of the
people in several instances Mr..
Lincoln was very explicit On the
question of capital and labor. He
said: Monarchy itself is sometimes
limited at as possible refuge from
the power of the people. In my
present position, | could scarcely be
| justified were ] to omit raising a
warning voice against this approach
of returning despotism. 1t is not
needed nor fitting here that a gene
raj argument should be made in ia
vor of popular government; but there
is one point, nth its connections not
SO hackneyed as most others, to
which | ask brief attention. 1t is
the effort to place ca pital on an equal
footing with, if not above, labor, in
the structure of government. 1t is
assumed that labor is available only
in connection with capital; that no.
body laborS unless somebody else
owning capital, somehow by the use
of it induces him to labor" Labor
is prior to, and independent of CAPT
tai. Capital is only the fruit of la
Dor, and could never have existed il
labor had not first existed. Labor is
the superior of capital. and deserves
much the higher consideration. Nc
men living are more worthy to bt
trusted than those who toll up from
poverty; none less inclined to take OF
touch aught VIII ich they have no
honestly earned. Let them be ware
of surrendering a political power
which they already possess ant
which if surrendered, will surely b,
used to close the door of advance
ment against such as they, and t,
fix new disabilities and burdens upol
them till all of liberty shall be lost.
Now, ask in all candor, how ca,
any d. o. p. adherent claim to be
follower of the precepts of Linccll
after reading the sentiments ex
pressed in those quotations from tn
lips of this great patriot ? Has no
capital arrogated to itself first plac
in the control of our government
Has not labor been trampled unde
foot by the iron heel of plutocrati
despotism? How many laws il
the last two decades have been passe(
in the interests of the creators o
wealth Is it not u fact that tn
greater part Of our legislation ha
been in the interest of those VIII,
have succeeded in nonopolizing tn
industries of the nation Has il no
been clearly demonstrated tha
Lincoln was right when he said, u
the close of the war. Corporation
would become enthroned, the none!
of the country would be concentrate;
in a few hands, that he felt NOR
concern for the welfare of his countr,
than he did even in the midst o
war !" Are not the corporations il
the saddle and the saddle on the bee
of labor? Can the people expect an.
relief from the party in power a