Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-02-18
ABRAHAM LINCOLN


In little hut in the midst of for
est clearing near Hodgenville, KY,
\ one-hundred and two years ago this
week Abraham Lincoln began under
the most unpromising of auspices
that marvellous career which the bull
let of the assassin, ]. Wilkes Booth
ended so tragically in Ford's theatre
on the 14th of April, 1865.
! Born to the lowest estate to which
mankind is heir, condemned to a life
in which there was apparently neith-
er hope nor sunshine, by the pinch
ing struggle of his parents for-exist-
ence in a hostile country oTerrun by
the savage red man, he made more
of his scant heritage than is given to
! most men and became the most ma
jestic figure in modern history. Sad
dest and most unhappy of all the men
who have been called by their fellow
countryfnan to shape the destinies of
the nation, he preserved unimpaired
in the highest Office within the gift
of the people the simplicity of man
ner and rugged honesty of purpose
that marked the humble rail splitter
in overalls of thirty years before up
on whom was imposed the task of
freeing the slave and preserving the
union.
Averse to war he aspired to see his
country grow in peaceful eminence
and take its rank among the most in
fiuential nations of the world, AN am
bition he was not destined however
- f,,1&
pathetic sad looking face, upon which
the heartbroken widow, the orphans
and the mothers of the nation en-
graved their tears, would light up
with emotion if he could today see
that starry emblem he gave up his
life in the saving, floating over pros
porous dependencies beyond the bor-
ders of the country whose territorial
integrity he stroye so hard to keep
intact. Where less than thirty mil
lion gave up the last full measure of
devotion to maintain it without
blemish more than one-hundred mil
lion now own allegiance to it, from
frozen Alaska to the sun carreSsed
shores of Porto Rico, Hawaii, Guam
and the Philippine Archipelago.
Since ne passed away his country
has had one successful war, and acted
as intermediary for Russia and Japan
in settling the most disastrous inter
national struggle in all history. 1t
has turned the Indian from intermit-
tent strife into peaceful pursuits, led
the nations of the world in the estab-
lishment of permanent peace tribu-
nal at the Hague for the adjustment
of grievances, freed Cuba from the
oppressive yoke of Spain, and under
taken the construction of the Pana-
ma canal, the most stupendouS engi-
neering feat of the ages. Its invent
i've genius has enriched the world
with Alexander Graham Bells tele-
phone, Edison'S incandeScent electric
light, Delany's 1000 words minutes
telepost automatic telegraph system,
Westinghouse marvellous mechan1-
cal inventions, the trolley, the auto
mobile, the typeSetting machine, the
cylinder press and thousand and
one other wonders which have reliev-
ed mankind of its former drudgery.
1t has established hundred indus
tries which dominate the markets of
the world and raised a thousand mill
lionaires, whose rapidly accumulat-
ing revenues are being disbursed in
the creation of the greatest scientific
and research universities and philan-
thropieS that the world has ever
known. 1t feeds the world with its
surplus grain, clothes it with its cot
ton, and keeps its mills and factories
humming with its machinery With
clear conscience and an open
heart it looks with Lincoln upon all
its neighbors with malice toward
none, with charity for ALL" And 1t
lives and acts as closely as nation
can, the philosophy of the dead Pres
ident contained in his Cooper Union
speech: Let us have faith that right
makes right and in that faith let US
to the end dare to do our duty as we
understand it."