The sun., 1916-09-05
lie Calls the War President
Too Great to BE a Typical
American.
A SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY
Its Mysterious Genius Re.
vealed in the Career Of the
Emancipation.

~ .D' - Nos'N '"S
war President was born.
A crowd Of 10000. massed unde a
hot sun on the hillsides about the cabin.
cheercd the President as he spoke Of
Lincoln A. the embodiment OF democracy.
Before delivering his address the Presi-
dent entered the granite memorial build
ing housing the Lincoln cabin and for
several minutes examined the crude log
structure.
The President and Mrs. Wilson, Sec
rotary Baker and Senator williams
signed the register outside the cabin
and then walked to the temporary stand
At the end Of the path. More thar
10000 automobiles from near and dis
liant points almost covered the fields in
every direction.
dent to the transfer OF the Lincoln cabin
to the Federal Government included the
President. Gen. John b. Castleman of
Louisville. Secretary Baker. Senator
Williams. former Gov. Folk OF Missouri
and Robert T. Collier OF New York.
The Presidents address, was frequent.
~ interrupted by applause. Al the con-
clusion OF his speech he left Immediate
ly for Washington, where he will arrive
tomorrow afternoon.
Mr.. wilson's Address.
President Wilson said In accepting
the memorial
No more significant memorial could
have been presented to the nation thar
eht0 0nS-,aA. a. $40, .L-. =.
singular and noteworthy In the history
Of the country It suggests 40 many of
the things that we prize most highly
In our life and In our system OF govern.
menf. How eloquent this little house
within this shrine IL of the ,igOr Of
democracy!
There is nowhere in the land any
home 10 remote. so humble. that IL
may not contain the power Of mind and
heart ana conscience TO which nations
yield and history submits its processes.
Nature pays no tribute to aristocracy.
subscribes to no creed Of caste, renders
reality to no monarch or master Of any
name or kind. Genius IL no snob. II
does not run after titles or seek by
preference the high circles Of society.
1t Affects humble company AS well as
great. 1t pays no special tribute to uni
versities or learned societies or con-
! ~ StdiiuhTus VI kTtttfierS, out
serenely chooses its own comrades. It's
own haunts. It's own cradle even. and
It's " life OF adventure and Of training.
Here is proof OF 1t.
Cradle Of Great Man.
This little hut was the cradle Of one
OF the great sons Of men. a man OF sim
gular. delightful. vital genius who
presently emerged upon the great 81
of the nations history, Eaun,. shy. un-
calmly. but dominant and majestic. a
natural ruler Of men. himself inevitably
the central figure OF the great plot.
Ma man can explain this. but every
man can see how 1t demonstrates the
vigor Of democracy. where every door
Is open. in every hamlet and country
side. in city and wilderness alike, for
the ruler to emerge when he will ana
claim his leadership In tine free life.
UGH are the authentic proofs Of the va
lidity and vitality Of democracy.
Here. no less. hides the mystery oi
democracy. Who shall guess this secret
OF nature and providence and "A free
polity: Whatever the vigor and vitality
OF the stock from which he sprailg. Its
mere vIgor and soundness do not eX'
plain where this man got his great heart
that seemed to comprehend all mankind
in its catholic and b~enignant sympathy
the mind that sat enthroned behind those
b%rooding. melancholy eyes. whose visor
swept many a horizon which thos.
about him dreamed not of-that mine
that comprchended what 1t had never
seen. and understood the language Of ma
ture which seemed in it's varied rich
ness to he the familiar OF men Of ever.
way OF life. This is the sacred mystery
Of democracy. that its richest fruit,
spring out 81 soils which no man hal
prepa red and in circumstance amids'
which they are the least expected. Thi,
is a place alike OF mystery and Of re-
assurance.
LincOln One Of Many.
1t Is likely that in a society ordered
otherwise than our own Lincoln coult
not have found himself or the path OF
FAM and power upon which he walked
serenely to his death. In this place II i,
right that We should remind ourselves
OF the solid and striking facts upor
which our faith in democracy Is founded
Many another man besides Lincoln ha.
served the nation in It's highest place,
Of counsel and OF action whose Origin
was as humble as his. Though tn,
greatest example OF the universal en-
ergy, richness, stimulation and fore,
Of democracy. ne Is only one eNampl,
among many. The ~permeat.ng and all
pervasive virtue OF the freedom which
challenges us In America to make th'
most Of every gift and power we pos
ses every page OF our history serve
to emphasize and illustrate, Standinl
here in this place. II seems almost thu
whole of the stirring story.
Here Lincoln had his beginnings, Her
the end and contamination Of that grea
life seem remote and a bit incredible
And yet there was no break anywher
between beginning and end. no lack o
natural sequence anywhere, Nothinl
really incredible happened, Lincoln wa
unaffec,edly az much at home IN tn
White House as he was here. % yo'
share with me the feeling. ] wonder
tina he was permanently at home no
where?
spirit Always Sovereign.
II seems to me tina In the case OF
mani would rather say OF a spirit
like Lincoln the question where he wa
Is OF little Significance. that II Is Away
what he was that really arrests GU
thought and takes hold of our imagina
ton. 1t Is the spirit always that !
sovereign.
We would like to think OF men llk
Lincoln and Washington AZ typica
Americans, but no man can be typlca
who is so unusual as these great me
were. II was typical OF American iii
that It should produce such men wit
suIreme Indifference AS to the name
in which 1t produced them. and as read
iiy here in this hut ms am'dat the lit,l
circle OF cultivated gentlemen to WHOM
virginia owed NO much In leadership an,
example.
n Lincoln and Washington wer
typical Americans In the use they mad
OF their genius. But there will he 70,