The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-02-14
C|T|zE NSH|P AS
EXtMP l|F|fO IN
LIFE OF LINCOLN
Address BY Congressman J. A.
falconer Last Night
AT PROGRESsIveS BANQUET
Beautiful Tribute to the Enduring
Character of the Greatest
American

OOuSTtSSludU u. ~. dlCOnSlt PiO-
gressive representative at the ma
tional capital from the state of Wash
ningto, was the speaker at the LIN
coin dinner at Apollo hall Friday eve
ming, and he delivered one of the
most thoroughly enjoyable addresses
listened to by a Bennington audience
in many months. Mr.. Falcone',
mentally and physically, is built on
the type of broadbinded, energetic
and genial citizen whom the people
of the east have come to associate
with the big things that are being
done in the newer section of this
country. His opening words Of greet
ing placed him in hand to hand touch
with his audience and the grip was
not broken until the concluding SEN
tence.
Mr. Falconer's tribute to Loncoln
was not only beautiful but 1t was
characterized by originality. 1t did
not deal so much with the magnifi-
cent accomplishments of the martyr
ed president while he was at the
head of the nation. What the speak
er sought to impress upon the minds
of his audience was the lessons to be
drawn from the character of the
great American, to use the speakers
own words. the greatest personality
in the world since the days of tbs
Man of Ga,ilee.
The speake' said that he had reach
ed that point in life where the party
tag meant nothing to him. The re-
dictionary condition of the republican
party was unavoidable. Should the
progressive party come into power
and control the government for
generation it would be afflicted in the
same manner.
The cha 'ge that the progressive
movement was one man movement
had its duplicate in the early days of
Lineoln's career, as practically the
same allegation was made by Doug
les.
Amalgamation Of the progressive
and republican parties apparently
does not appeal to Mr.. Falconer
Amalgamation with the Barnes and
Penrose elements of the republican
party reminded him of that incident
of 1000 years ago when the devil took
the Man of Galilee up into the noun
tains and asked him to amagamate.
While he denies the allegation of
hero worship. MIR. Falconer looks
upon Theodore Roosevelt as the big
gest man of the present day. to use
his own words. the greatest dyna-
mite force" of the century.
Mr. Falconer told a number OF stor-
les that evidently appealed to the
humor of his audience. The most
palpable hit was at the expense of
the democratic party. Out on the
Pacific coast one of the big industries
is the salmon fisheries. The fish ap
pear in the large views every sea
son but once in four years there is
big run of fish. One day the speaker
said that he was greeted on the pier
at Seattle by friend who had been
in Alaska for a dozen years. After
the usual greeting the conversation
turned to politics. The Alaskan had
not heard must about the bull moose
party up in the far north. He was
more interested in the doings of the
salmon party. When asked what he
meant by the salmon party the Alas
kan said: The democrats; they on
ly run once in four years and then we
can EN-
The dinner served by the ladies of
Walloomsac lodge. n. f. o. p. was
excellent II consisted of oyster bull
lion. chicken pie. rolls, olives. pickles
celery, ice cream. cake and coffee.