The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-02-12
Splendid EXERCISES
MARKED CELEBRATION
L|NCOlN'S BIRTHDAY
HERE TODAY

ShC Vi thC ldl SCSl anu lhOSt AhlNA
ested gatherings that has been gotten
together on any similar occasion in
Lakeland assembled in the Auditor
ium this morning. to witness the ex-
ercises commemorative the birthday
of Abraham Lincoln. The affair was
in all respects success, and it was
an occasion calculated to obliterate
any vestige of sectional feeling that
may yet linger in any breast.
The exercises were opened by
Chairman G. w. Freese, president of
the Tourist Club, who made some in
troductory remarks, after which the
audience united In singing America.
Rev. Trout of the Christian church
then delivered the invocation.
At this juncture Chairman Freese
invited all Confederate veterans who
might be in the audience to come for
ward and take seats on the stage. 1t
was found that a number of the Vet
Grams were already on the stage, min
gled with their one-time enemies Of
Northern army, and other came for
ward at the invitation,
Miss Mildred Stewart played vio-
lin solo, her mother acting as accom-
PIANIST, and she did this so sweetly
and artistically that the audience
was captivated and insisted on an
other selection, which was also
splendidly rendered
Mr. Freesa then introduced the
the speaker of the day, Hon. Wash
ington Gardner. of Michigan, man
who had known Lincoln personally
and who served twelve years in Con
gress. Mr.. Gardner expressed graft
fication at the presence on the plat
; form of men who during the civil
war represented the two great hostile
factions, but who had now come to
gether to do honor to the great citi
zen, whom M. Gardner declared t
be the consummate character Of thu
> century. He referred to Lincoln
) humble origin in cabin on the west
: ern frontier of civilization and trace
: his wonderful career upward until h
= reached the highest position in tn
gift of the people. He drew vivi
: picture of the scene, fifty-seven year
: ago when he was leaving Springfield
Il Illinois, for Washington, and referre
e to the words of Christian hope an
y faith he spoke from the platform
{ the train to the friends who ha
thronged to bid him goodbye. H
pictured the inauguration thre
A. weeks later-what seemed at this
h time to be possibly the last inaugur
81 ton of an American republican
~ his utterances at that time agai
9. breathed a Christian spirit and tn
Y. courage and fortitude of great n
d. ton.
a. Mr.. Gardner declared that, contral
IS to the belief Of many persons, SLAYER
ID was not the main cause Of the civ
n. war, although 1t might perhaps be r
tn garded as the immediate and provo
ne ing cause. The roots of the diffe
u. ence between the North and Sou
ok was much deeper than that, he d
re clared; and he reviewed the in,
nd dents that led up to the war, shown
ed that its prime cause was the conte
us ton as to the right of any State
ar secede. Lincoln's sole desire, he
nut clared, was to save the Union, and
er is due to his virile administrati
ill that the Union was preserved inta
He quoted recent utterance of
- McAdoo, in which the latter declar
that if the pacifists who opposed Il
coin had been permitted to have thu
r way at the time of the civil W;
there would now be no one great u
. ted nation, but there would be two
probably more hostile countries. T
difficulties and differences between t
two sections were such, declared
Gardner that they could be settled
no other way except by fighting thu
out; and, said Mr.. Gardner, turni
to the Veterans present I'VE fout
out our differences and settled tn
forever" He closed with an c
Quent tribute to the loyalty of
Confederates to the nation and
q flag. Mr. Gardeners speech made
- profound impression, and be was
> terrupted frequently by hearty
plause.
The audience then joined in sing
"Tenting on the Old Camp Groun
led by L. w Bloom, after which N
G. T. Fleming delivered Lincoi
Gettysburg address with fine orat'
cal effect.
"The Battle Hymn of the Republ
was sung by Mrs. w. C. Norvell {