The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-04-30
SON OF MARTYR
SCORES COLONEL
ROBERT LINCOLN RESENTS The
CLAIM THAT HIS FATHER
WOULD SUPPORT THE
ROOSEVELT ISSUES.

Newark. n. j., April 30.--President
Taft has made public a letter from
Robert II. Lincoln, son of Presiden1
Lincoln. In which Colonel Theodore
Roosevelt is criticised and condemned
FOR what Mr. Lincoln declares his per-
version OF tic truth.
My personal feelings" the letter
reads, ARE hnimportant but l am not
only impatient but indignant that
President Lincoin's work and plain
views should be perverted and misap-
piled before trusting people into the
support OF doctrine which | believe
he would abhor. living
Mr.. Lincolns letter was written, he
said. in answer to request for an
opinion OF repeated assertions by Mr.
Roosevelt that mis- attitude on certain
radical doctrine is supported by the
recorded views" of the nnrtyred presi-
dent. The letter. i'm part. follows:
"1'he government under which nay
father lived was, as il is now, a repub-
lie of representative democracy check
ed by the constitution. which can be
changed by the people out only when
acting by methods which compel de-
liberation and exclude SO far as is
possible the effects of passionate ana
short sighted impulse.
'As | understand 1t. the essence Of
Mr.. Roosevelt's proposal is that we
shall adopt as cur form Of government
an unchecked democracy This, in
simple words, is a proposed revolution,
peaceful perhaps, but a revolution. In
support of these revolutionary doc
trines which. if successful, would abol-
sh the form and spirit of our existing
government. and surely. | think. lead
to attempted dictatorship, resort is had
to what is claimed To be the word and
teaching of President Lincoln.
Martyrs Position cleer.
President Lincoln wroty many fet-
| ters. made many public addresses and
VAS the anthor of many documents.
do not know of the existence in any %
them of word of censure or of con
plant of our government or of the
methods by which IL is carried on. He
was sincerely and faithfully obedien.
TO our constitution. In the single act
for which he is most remembered-tho
issuance of the emancipation proclaim
ation-he expressly supported 1t, as
an act warranted by the constitution
upon military necessity.
Ills attitude towards the bred Scott
decision is urged i'm support of tn
pernicious project for the recall by
Popular vote OF judges and OF judiclG
decisions. He thought 1t an erroneoui
decision. but his chief point i'm refer
ence to il was not in error. but that i
indicated "A scheme and was a part o
it, for the naturalization of human
slavery. lie nevc~ sugS \ 2 chang,
in our government under which tn
Judges who made it should be recalled
but said that he would resist it polIti
cally by voting. il in his power. fo
an act prohibiting slavery in UniteC
States territory AMI then cudeay'i I,
have the act sustained in Que proceed
ings by the same court reversing itself
as there to be found here or any
where else. support for n project Il
abolish the essential clement or an!
element OF our constitution? And ye
he is cited in support OF such action
lie loved the government under which
he lived. and when at Gettysburg III
pray ed cir / may use that world tina
a government of the people by the PEG
pie and FOR the pe2p.e nay not rCrisl
from the earth ne nat1t and c"u;'
my mean that government unocl
which he lived a representative gov
ernmont of balanced executive. icgis-
lative and judicial parts, and no
something entirely different an un.
checked democracy.
These often quoted words of Abra
ham Lincoln are now deliberately al
tered and argument founded on theil
altered FORM may be permitted Il
say that I do not think the public
wishes the Gettysburg speech to b,
rewritten and its words changed by
anyone, however distinguished. or an.
person, least of all in order to support
a proposition that President Lincoln
could not possibly have had in mind.'
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