The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-02-12
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

Today we commemorate the birth
of one of the worlds greatest men,
Abraham Lincoln, who was president
of the United States during its most
trying period, when "brother was ar
rayed against brother and the nation
was threatened with destruction. Pa
fient, kind and loving, yet firm in his
determination to prevent the destruc-
ton of the Union, Lincoln stood a
tower of strength to the North. And
when the war was over and the South
had been defeated he tempered JUS
tice with mercy when he announced
to the blood thirsty politicians of the
North who would punish the South
for seeding: 81 will treat them as if
they had never been away"
Yet no man was ever abused, Wilt
fled and misjudged more than was
Lincoln. The professional politician
then, as now, tried to throw every
obstruction in his way; to belittle his
efforts and to predict failure. The
first year of the great Civil War was
much like the first year of our par
ficipation in the world war; The same
predictions of failure, the same line
of fault-finding, the same efforts Of
petty politicians of small calibre were
turned against Lincoln as have more
recently been turned against Wilson.
Nd of ho toc A
to that time had won the war and
saved the Union, he was shot down
by cowardly fanatic.
History repeats itself" is an old
and true saying and the historian of
the future will record the history of
the war just closed and will call the
attention of the people of future years
and generations, to the similarity of |
the treatment accorded Lincoln by
the small bore politicians and that |
accorded Wilson by people of the same
calibre during the two most critical
periods of the nations existence.
1t is to be hoped the similarity will
end with abuse and Misrepresentation
and that Wilson will not suffer as
sassination at the hands of some
crank, spurred on by the sensational
charges made against him by the
until the crank comes to
believe as did J. Wilkes Booth that
the president is an enemy to man
kind and it is the religious duty of
some self-appointed executioner to re-
move him. There is no doubt that
Booth was inspired to assassinate
Lincoln because of the abuse heaped
Ipon him by the political opponents Of
hat day.
- " -
STATE OWNED NEWSPAPERS.
As an example of crooked thinking
consider this extract from a commune
alton to The Spokesman Review:
North Dakota is going to own
and operate the press Each
county will vote its own man
ayers and have full control of
the county paper That means
the people can do their own
thinking without depending on
the political kept press.
What else would that be but "po- z
teal kept PRESS run by politicians, q
IS editorial policies dictated by poll q
Clans, its news selfishly colored by q
oliticians wanting to continue them q
elves in office and power? "
Probably the advocates of that dark q
ractice of the middle ages think it q
ould be progressive. In truth and q
STORY it would be the most reac- "
onary step taken by the American q
sople since the foundation of this %
'vernment. 1t would be reversion M
political practices adopted after "
e invention of movable types and e
e printing press, when the Euro "
an government "owned and oper- "
ed the press" ~
Congress-" declares the United W
ates constitution, "shall make no ~
v respecting an establishment OF "
igion or prohibiting the free exer- N
e thereof, or abridging the free W
N of speech or the press Rever- ~
n to government or state re- ~
ion would be the next logical step "
er reversion to state-owned and W
rated press. The principle is the ~