Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-27

verslty OF Pennsylvania and Temple Uni
versity, for the greater part OF the volume
is devoted to Lincoln's professional
ethics"
who is Rothschild?' asked owen
He was a German Jew, who was born
on the night Of the delivery OF Lhncoihs
famous Cooper Union speech. Wheh ne
grew up Lincoln became his hero Ai'er
making a competence out OF the JeWeler
Weekly in New York, he sold thaV peri
odical and moved to a farm In a httle
Massachusetts village and devoted MN
self 10 a study OF Lincoln and the men
associated with him. The first product
of that study was Lincoln, Master ol
Men, an admirable exposition Oh t"e
ability Of the great President TO cohuoi
and direct the forces Of his fellow Aiile'i'
cans to the accomplishment of the results
which he sought The new book Is
study in integrity based on Lincoln
early life. IL ends with his election 10
Congress. Another chapter on his career
as president would have been added II
Rothschild had not died. The book as II
stands is complete as far as 1t goes
said law students ought TO read H. NO
American, whatever his business OF pro
fession, can read 1t without pront' Inc
author does not regard Lincoln as per-
feet. Indeed he points out with great I'M
partiality the mistakes that he made' anu
he regrets his surrender TO the forces
that surrounded him, a regret that might
nt
child had succeeded in putting hllhseH
back into the period in which Lincoln
lived and could have judged him ny inc
prevailing standards. For example WhHe
he mentions Lincoln's interest in hohes'
elections, he does not give so much alleh-
tion rs It deserves to Lincolns ettorts 10
prevent fraud. 1t is a matter OF RECORD
that in 1870, during his last term in the
Illinois Legislature, Lincoln offered res
olution directing the Committee on Eiec-
tions to prepare such an act as may III
their Judgment, afford the greatest possf
BILE protection OF the elective tranchlse
against all frauds of all sorts whatsoever
Rothschild quotes the resolution IN hote'
| but is content with a few sentences ABOUT
| II in the body of the book. The Democrats
| who were in control, refused 10 adopt the
resolution, but Lincoln let it be known
where he stood. No ballot retormer Oh
the present generation has ever asked lor
anything more drastic than was calleu lor
more than seventy.hve years ago IN LIN
coins resolution"
"I gather from what you say that he
would not have stood for the Fifth WARD
scandals" Doctor McFabre remarked
"He would have been the first to Dro
test against them" said I, "even If his
own party associates had been guilty, for
he knew that no edince built on FRAUD
can stand. The greatness OF Lincoln
rests on his fundamental integrity. When
be was only twenty-three years old aho
had lived in New Salem only nine months
he became a candidate for the LeglsIa
ture. lie was defeated, but his home
town, which was Democratic and gave
jackson a majority Of lis in the same
year. polled 277 out of a total Of 290 votes
for him. This was a tribute to his char
acter, and when he was elected to Con
gress the tribute to his personal popular
ity was almost as significant. When ht
was elected to the presidency he was one
of the leading lawyers of Illinois. He hac
achieved that distinction by rigid adher
ence to the highest standard Of profes
sional honor. lie told one man who
wanted TO hire him that his case wa.
technically strong, but had no basis ir
equity or justice, and declined to appear
All the time while talking to the jury,
he explained to the prospective client
I'd be thinking, Lincoln, you're a liar
and 1 believe should forget myself anC
say it out loud Rothschild quotes this
remark and many others of e uimilal
tenor. He has consulted about all thu
Lincoln books Of any consequence, anC
he gives a list of more than a hundred L
which he has referred in the course OF hi
narrative. Honest Abe is the kind Of ;
book of which there are too few. Worship
Of success. however won, IS too common
1 know a young man who said that h
always admired a man who could ge
away with it, and he did pot car
whether the man was honest or dishones
as long as he got there This book Is
much-needed corrective to that sort o
thinking And 1t is a valuable addition L
, the literature about Lincoln, for 1t is al
/ assembling of the data about his ethica
standards, made by man whose admira
ton for the great Kentucklan does no
, obscure his judgment. 1t shows his mora
, kinship with Jefferson and establishe
once more the fact that there can be n
J enduring fame built on crookedness."
GEORGE w. DOUGLAS.
HONEST ABE. 4 study in integrity based o.
the early life Of Abraham lincoln. Ry Alonz
kothschld, author of Lincoln, Master o
: Men' Boston; Houghton Mifln Company. s.
onSh11rNr nv, Do,,o.,E.