The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1915-02-19
Honor to Abe Lincoln


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zens and these things were most |
earnestly defended by men of appar |
ent sanity and normal reason.
We have seen in another instance |
the breakdown of a great common
wealth in class war as fierce and
relentless as ever challenged atten-
ton in the poverty and class-ridden
sections of the old world. These
things but indicate a situation ac-
centuated more year by year and
with which some political party must
come ultimately to deal.
New Demands on Party.
Our uarty may return to power
and / believe it will, but no party
will long remain in power which has
not the initiative, the constructive
bent and above all the courage to
recognize these conditions and i'll toll
erance and sober impartiality seek
to deal with them.
These are questions broad enough
and sufficiently tremendous to weld
together in one compact and invinci-
BILE fighting force the best brain and
highest purpose OF all our people. Let
US hope, therefore, that when we re-
| turn to power we will not be deluded
into the belief that all we have to do
is to undo something which others
have done; that on the other hand we
will recognize that a new industrial
era has imposed upon us new prob
lens and that we will endeavor in
good faith to meet them. And may
it not be justly said that the begin
ming of all sound craftsmanship is
the recognition of the task, the clar-
ity of vision which sees the situation
"a righteous determination in the
end will find the remedy.
When Mr.. Lincoln delivered his
important speech at Springfield and,
in defiance of the judgment of the
timid and conservative, declared that
house divided against itself could
not stand, he disclosed that he was
the only man 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
it's solution. If we shall as lErty
recognize the tremendous task before
US we shall more certainly rise to
that wisdom and patriotism neces-
sary to its wise performance.
We could have no surer guide
under such conditions and before
such problems than that of our first
|
political 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 in to power the most poten-
tial organization in history.
Government of the Fathers.
In the first place, as the basis of
5 his whole political career was his
T abiding faith in the efficiency and
strength of the government which the
fathers gave us. While others
: doubted, while others felt that the
republic must likely be cut in twain
or modified into a limited monarchy,
you will search his letters and public
utterances in vain for single note
of mistrust or doubt through all
, those four long years of internecine
| | war.
/ He believed that our form of gov
eminent was strong enough and wise
enough to give freedom and insure
happiness to all men; that while
changed economic and industrial
? conditions might necessitate a reds
tribution of power or restatement
5 of the details, that in it's great anC
fundamental principles it should bt
!. preserved inviolate.
THE man who has not that abid
J. ing faith in the sufficiency and eff
" cheney OF this government to do jus
. tice to all our people would be a.
h united for the task now upon us a.
poor Buchanan was who nursed hi
e Shrinking soul with the delusiol
II that the government had not suffi
h cient authority to prevent its own de
i struction, as some people seem t
: think to-day that it has not suffici
;. Gent strength to protect its own cit
l. izenship.
s Secondly his great gift of leader
) ship was evidenced by his almost di
: vine power to see, amid the clash o
m selfish interests and conflicting pas
,, sion and greed, the rights OF bot
- sides. That rare insight and remar
" kable poise enabled him to know an
s declare that under such circumstan
- ces neither side is liable to be entir
ely right or wholly wrong.
. l sometimes think that the fines
a. lines in written English are those c
n Emerson wherein he says: 1t is cas-
n in the world to live after. the world
:. opinion. 1t is easy in solitude t
- live after your own. But the grea
lg man is he who in the midst OF tn
a crowd keeps with perfect sweetnes
20 the independence of solitude.
Lincoln loved the crowd, symps
&c thized with it, but never yielde
IL those views and convictions forme
&c in strangely recurring hours OF sol
~ tude. The southern slave driver d.
nounced him as tyrant and mu
u derer, the northern abolitionist as
trimmer and a coward, But b.
tween these two forces, either
which would have destroyed the go
to eminent, the stopped and solitaI
to figure moved on to that niche whic
II awaited him beside the father OF h
country. He had his own conyi
at tions, he was broad enough to kno
he land brave enough to act upon Il
IT. that the southerner was fghtir
i with and for his environments al
when these environments were d
MS stroyed he would come again to
Is, as he now is, brave and patriot
SC citizen.
bana ha u+uc no