The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-13
SIDE NEWS
PriVatiOns and HardShips DeyeI-
Oped LincOln's Character.
Says Rev. Waldron in Lincoln
Day Address.
GAVE MOTHER CREDIT.
Attributes Martyred Presidents
Greatness to Her Influence.
Other Items of Interest on the
North Side.

| North Side.
In his sermon concentrating Lin
coins birthday. Rev. G. w. Waldron,
pastor of the Kansas Avenue Methodist
church, Sunday morning at the church
told how the privations and hardships
of Lincoln's life had developed his
greatness. He gave the martyred
| presidents mother all credit for his
wonderful character and said that Lin
coin was like Christ in that he ire
Iused the crown of men that he might
! become the nations SAVIOR He also
compared him to Christ in his com
passion for humanity and forgiveness
/ OF enemies. and that we could not fully
understand Lincoln becaus of his
greatness. Throughout his sermon
the speaker emphasized the fact that
greatness in individuals or nations is
| produced by struggles with adversely
| and conquering obstacles.
| The members of Blue post, No 90
G. A. r.. of the North Side, and the
Sons of Veterans, Camp Abe Lincoln,
from the South side, attended the serv-
ices in a body
Rev. Mr.. Waldrons address in part
follows
| Mankind will never forget the hero,
Abraham Lincoln. who had the faith
the courage of Leonidas, the content
ment of Cincinnatus, the statesman
ship of Pericles, the massive inteIlec-
/ tual powers of Saint Paul, the political
sagacfty of Richelieu. the integrity of
Cromwell and the patriotism of Wash
ington.
I'm the first decade of the nine
teenth century God sent into the one
roomed Kentucky cabin-without floor
or window, a baby boy who was des-
/ zt1- u ~
man lasts as one of the strongest types
of sterling manhood since the days of
the Master of men. 1t is strange, but
true, that in our search for men who
have made history we turn not to the
| homes of wealth and aff1uence, but to
the humble cottage of the honest
ltoiler.
| Abraham Lincoln is another among
great men who drew all his greatness
4 from his mother, because there was no
greatness to be found in his father.
According to reports, the head of the
/ household ESQ called) was ignorant
| and thriftlesS, satisfied to live from
hand to mouth. with not much in the
hand at one time, and was ever NOV
1 ing from one scene of desolation to an
other vainly trying in his way to bet
4 ter conditions but in general failing
to improve matters for his neighbors
were many times like environed.
| ''Out of this strange wandering life
school can claim sponsorship for start
4 ing in the ways of success.
II am talking to people who have
| fought many battles in private life and
| who will bear me out in the statement
| that 1 now make: That i'll every in
stance where greatness stands on the
pages of ancient, medieval or modern
| history there has been 8 strange and
difficult training, and in some of the
| more remarkable cases the unexpected
has happened.
| Men are like the Alpine plant-they
| grow fastest in the storm. The smith
| who works on the ponderous frame
| that supports the great locomotive
which travels over vale, hill, and noun
| tain must first subject the material to
1 the most severe test, and under the
| massive hammer it is worked out to
| suitable shape and temper. Noblest
| character is developed in the wilder
| ness of privation, and the foundry of
! opposition. where the furnaces of trial
and the hammers of criticism must
mold the real leader for every import
| ant epoch
| Moses rose from the ark of bull
rushes to the leadership of Israel.
| Amos from the humble ranks of the
| ancients to make the select nation
| tremble with his prophecies-David
/ from the sheep cote to write the psalms
| of Thanksgiving and sway the sceptre
of kingly authority, Daniel from the
/
| of the realm.
| ALLOW me to suggest that we can
| never fully understand all of the man
| for he is head and shoulders above the
1 average, and with our aeroplanes we
| cannot see his height, with the tel
escope of vision we cannot measure
| his breadth-with the sounding line OF
keenest intellect we fail to reach his
| unfathomable depth-and the extent of
| his influence cannot be measured by
| any system known to the ingenuity
| of man.
| "A nation does not grow because of
| her great agricultural resources, her
| magnificent cities-the wealth of her
| citizens or the great commerce with
! other nations.
Tell me the story of her SORROWS.
passions. conflicts and emotions and
| will read in these her greatness
| Lincoln was not a member of any
| church and yet 1 have gathered the
| events I am about to relate from vari-
| Gus sources to show you that Lincoln
| was a true-hearted Christian in every
sense of the word.
HE had faith in the book of God
| he read from its pages every day-he
| pleaded it's promises on behalf of the
interests intrusted to hirn-he follow
ed the life of Jesus Christ in his ten
der compassion for the more unfortu-
nate-he was gentle to the helpless
| he showed kindness to his enemies-he
| was patient under the most malicious
| epresentations-he ever held in
| reverence the character of God. ask