Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-12
LINCOLN ;l.l ] THE POLITICIAN
j
+. -. Copyright. 1870
I BY DR.. FRANK CRANE.
BY Webster.

| American boys and girls cannot toe
Often. or too seriously, study the char.
acter' Of Abraham Lincoln.
+ Hts birthday, the 18th of. February
ought to be observed in every public
! He means more to American ideals
than any figure in our history
We should not make an idol of him
think that he never did wrong. OF
imagine him to have had superhuman
qualities. He is the last man to set
up on a pedestal. He would be the
first if he were here today, to laugh
atsthe efforts some, make. to represent
him as hero, apart from his fellow
men.
For he had common sense and humor;
And common sense tells us that the
greatest man is nearest to our COM
mon humanity. And humor is stirred
by the posing Of those who believe
their .fiatterers snd conceive them
selves to be Of other clay than that
of which the rest of us are nodded.
One thing about Lincoln 1 wish to
emphasize this year-that is. that he
the word.
Nothing can be more dangerous to
our country than for young people to
get the notion that all politicians are
low men and that politics is low bust
ness.
Some politicians, it is true, are petty
and some are .venal. with no mind
above their. party and the selfish profits
they can draw from it. But that Is a
weakness of human nature. and not
1,,a IN he
Politics ought to be the highest
noblest calling. 1t means attending to
the business of the commonwealth. the
establishing and safeEuarding of con-
ditions of equity and liberty for all
citizens.
Lincoln was an excellent politician.
He was not what we would call a re-
former. for he did not advocate meas
ures simply because they were right.
He considered whether or not the peo-
pie wanted them
He did not think he and his judgment
and conscience We're superior to the
peoples. nor that he was in any way
divinefy licensed to tell the nation
what thought to do. -,
He aimed to be the servant Of the
people. mot their master. He was to
do their. will not to impose his will
upon Them.
:. His great power lay in this-that he
understood the people. kept close to
them: and. carried out their collective
purpose. ]. :.
He has, .been-.. called the martyr"
President, and perhaps the title is apt
enough II 1t implies simply that he
met his death in the performance of
his high duty. But in a strict sense
of the term he was not martyr, for
he" was not killed by authority, the
populace did not hate, him nor ciamor
for his blood--they loved him. He was
assassinated by a. criminal
He was a shrewd. wise, honest poll
ticfan. who tried to do the best he
could with the materials and condi-
lions. at hand. So what he did it was
not necessary to undo.
Martyrs. and reformers have their
place Mankind needs them. But it
needs quite as much the able politician
who can make the peoples will effect
i've, who can tell what is practical as
we'll as WHIST is righteous, who can
interpret and utter the peoples heart
= He was precisely the kind of man
democracy needs. humble,minded. fear
less, CONSCIENTIOUS. restraint to the
rash and fanatical. and an encourage
m9ft to- tire timid.
He was not great in the: sense that
Napoleon or Caesar Hor Savonarola or
any king or emperor is called. great.
but his was new greatness, the per-
fect.tYpe Of public. servant, the ideal
exprsssion OF an intelligent. democracy.