American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-02-25
Stirring Letter From Borah
Read at Lincoln Day Banquet.

WHen MT. Lincoln delivered his
important speech at Springfield, and
in defiance of the Judgment of he
! tfmid and conservative, declared that
a house divided against itself, could
not stand, he disclosed that he was
the only nan who saw the real sit
uation and comprehended the prob
lem though he himself was not able
to state at that time the method Of
its solution. If we shall, as n party.
recognize the tremendous task before
us we shall more certainly rise to that
wisdom and patriotism necessary to
its wise performance.
we could have no surer guide I'm
der such conditions and before such
problems, than that of our first great
party chief and the wisest of politi-
cal leaders.
I'VE could not do a saner thing
than to go back and study with re-
newed zeal and enthusiasm his party
policies and the method by which he
brought into power the most potential
organization in history.
Government of the Fathers.
In the first place, as the basis Of
his whole political career was his
abiding faith in the efficiency and
strength of the government which the
fathers gave us. While others doubt
ed, while others felt that the republic
must likely be cut in twain, or modi-
fled into a limited monarchy, you will
search his letters and public uter-
ances in vain for a single note of mis-
trust or doubt through all those four
long years of internecine war.
"He believed that our form of
government was strong enough
and wise enough to give freedom
and insure happiness to all men;
that while changed economic and
industrial conditions might necps-
. State a redistribution of power
or a restatement OF the details,
That in its great and fundamental
principles it should be preserved
inviOlate.
The man who has not that abiding
faith in the sufficiency and efficiency
Oh this government to do justice to
our people would be as untitled
for the task now upon us as poor Blu
chanan was who nursed his shrinking
soul with the delusion that the gov
eminent had not sufficient authority
to prevent its own destruction, as
some people seem to think today that
1t has not sufficient strength to pro-
tect its wi citizenship.
secondly his great gift of leader
ship was evidenced by his almost d.
Inc power to see, amid the clash of
selfish interests, and conflicting pasH
sion and greed, the rights of both
sides. That rare insight and remark
able poise enabled him to know and
declare that under such circum-
stances neither side is liable to be en-
tirely right or wholly wrong.
Il sometimes think that the finest
lines in written English are those of
Emerson wherein he says, 1T is easy
in the world~o live after the worlds
opinion. 1t is easy in solitude to live
after your own. Blu the great man
is he who in the midst of the crowd
keeps with perfect sweetness the in
dependence of solitude
Unmoved by Popular Passion.
Lincoln loved the crowd, sympa-
thized with it, but never yielded those
views and convictions formed in his
strangely recurring hours of solitude.
The southern slave driver denounced
him as a tyrant, and a murderer. the
northern abolitionist as a trimmer
and a coward. but between these
TWO FORCES, either of which would
have destroyed the government, the
stopped and solitary figure moved on
to hat niche which awaited him be-
side the father of his country. He
had his own convictions, he was
broad enough to know land brave
enough to act upon it, that the
southerner ives fighting with and for
his environments and tina when these
environments were DESTROYED he
would come again to be, as he now
is. a brave and patriotic citizen.
On the other hand, he was patient
ana considerate of the impatient. but
noble minded abolitionists and be-
lieVed that when slavery should have
passed away, as 1t seemed bound to
DO, mat they would no longer preach
doctrines which were scarcely less
reasonable than the doctrines of the
south, for they seemed willing to let
the south go.
Many good people seem to believe
that these things in time will right
themselves n hence we see much
literature in these days in the way of
advice to the Republican party to the
erect that what we want just now is
to let things alone-to sit on the lid
This does much credit to their mas
terful self-complacency, but is compli-
mentary neither to their heart nor
intellect.
For a great political party to
adopt a mere drifting ~do-nothing