Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-04-30
LINCOLN WRITES CENSURE
Son of Martvred President Critisizes
and Condemns Roosevelt,
FATHERS WORDS PERVERTED
Never, Even in Great Crisis, Did He
Assail Judiciary-wonld Have
Adhered the Proposed
Plan

ON BOARD PRESIDENT TAFTs
TRAIN. NEWARK. n. j., April 9-on
his way north to carry the fight into
Massachusetts,. President Taft last night
made public a letter from Robert T.
Lincoln. son Of President Lincoln in
which Colonel Theodore Roosevelt is
criticised and condemned for what Mr.
Lincoln declares is prevsrsion OF the
truth.
My personal feelings the letter read.
are unimportant but I am not only
impatient but indignant that President
Llnooln's words and plain views should
be perverted and misapplied before trust.
ing people into support Of doctrines which
j believe he would abhor. living"
Mr.. Lncoln's letter was written. he
says. In answer TO request for an opin-
ion OF repeated assertions by Mr.. Roose-
welt that his attitude on certain radical
doctrines is supported by the recorded
views" Of the martyred president.
The letter In part follows:
The government under which my
father lived was. as It is now. a republic
or representative democracy checked by
the constitution which can be changed
by the people, but only when acting by
methods which compel elaboration and
exclude so FAR as is possible the effect
Of passionate and shortsighted impulse.
A government In which the checks OF an
established constitution are actually or
practically omitted-one In which the peo-
pie act In mass directly on all questions
and not through their chosen representa-
tives is an unchecked democracy. a form
OF government so full OF danger as shown
by history. that 1t has ceased to exist
in communities small and concentrated
as to space. A New England town meet.
ing INDY be good, but such a government
in large city or state would be chaos.
Means Revolution.
"As I understand II. the essence Of
Mr.. Roosevelt's proposals is that we
shall adopt the latter form of govern
ment In place OF the existing form. This
simple words is proposed revolu-
ion, peaceful perhaps. but a revolution.
in support of these Evolutionary doc
trines. which. II successful. would abolish
the form and spirit Of our existing gov
eminent and surely. think. lead to
attempted dictatorship. resort is had to
what is claimed to be the words and
teachings Of President Lincoln.
President Lincoln wrote many letters.
made many public addresses and was the
author Of many documents. do not
know OF the existence In any Of them
~ 81 1N al.,s
Of our government or OF the methods
by which II was carried on. He was
sincerely and faithfully obedient to our
constitution. In the single act for which
he is most remembered-the issuance OF
the emancipation proclamation. he ex-
pressly supported It as an act warranted
by the constitution upon military
necessity.
Faithful TO Constitution.
ION one public occasion he described
the effect Of the counting Of slaves in
congressional and electoral representa-
ton. In comment ne said:
Now all this 10 manifestly unfair;
yet / do not mention II to complain OF
Il in the constitution and / do not for
that cause. or any other cause. propose
to destroy. or alter or disregard the
constitution. stand to II fairly, fully
and firmly
He hated slavery. but his reverence
for the constitution and law was such
that ne said publicly again and again.
IL a member OF congress he would faith
fully support q fugitive slave law.
His attitude toward the Dred-Scott
decision is urged as in support OF the
pernieious project for the recall by popu-
lar vote OF Judges and OF judicial de-
cisions.
Loyal to Judiciary.
He thought It an erroneous decision.
but his chief point In reference to II was
not Its error, but that It Indicated q
scheme. and was a part OF II, for the
naturalization of human slavery. He
never suggested change In our govern
ment under which the Judges who made
II should be recalled. but said that he
would resist 1t politically by voting. IL
in his power. for an act prohibiting
slavery In United States territory and
then endeavor to have the act sustained
in a new proceeding by the same court
reversing itself.
rs there to be found here, or any
where else, support for a project to
abolish the essential elements or any ele-
ments OF our constitution And yet he
is cited in support Of such action.
The Gettysburg prayer"
ssHe loved the Royernment under which
he lived and when at Gettysburg he
prayed az l may use that word that a
government Of the people. by the people,
and for the people may not perish from
the earth. He meant and could only
mean that government under which he
lived. a representative COVE. rent Of
balanced executive, legislative and ju-
diciai parts and not something entirely
dIfferent-an unchecked democracy.
These often quoted words OF President
Lincoln are now deliberately altered and
arguments founded on their altered
form
II may In permitted TO say that DO
not think the public wishes the Gsttys-
burg speech TO be rewritten and It's
words changed by any one. however dis
tinguished. for any purpose. least Of all
in order to support a proposition that