The Colorado statesman., 1920-02-07

few, and the most of the people were standing
Democrats and Republicans were packed into
solid mass together, goodnaturedly talking and
chatting each other. Upon the stage were seated
prominent men of both parties A chairman and
secretary and time keepers who had previously
been agreed upon, were early in their seats, but
made no effort to restrain the great crowd until
after the speakers had arrived and received the
deafening applause of their followers.
1t was curious sight when the contestants
ascended to their places the platform-Lin-
coin tall and Douglas short, Lincoln
angular and Douglas sturdy, Lincoln
spare and Douglas compact and rotund They
alternated in opening and closing the debates
the opening speaker hour, his competitor fol-
lowing with an hour and half. and the opening
speaker closing with half hour.
And the whole country realized the Importance
of this local Illinois contest. 1t understood
that this not much a contest of men of
principles. From the beginning all semblance of
a local personal struggle vanished. The eyes of
the nation were on the two champions. Every
newspaper detailed their speech and action Every
speech published in full. Men either side
made the arguments of their champion their own.
1t was ''old Abe" and "The Little Giant"
again at every crossroads. Illinois the po-
litcal and moral battle ground of the nation
And at Freeport Lincoln made it plain that he
stood ready sacrifice the senatorship in order
to advance the anti-slavery cause. AT the Ottawa
debate, six days before, Douglas had asked seven
questions to [4ncOln's attitude toward the
rous phases of slavery and its management AT
Freeport Lincoln answered these questions
frankly. He confessed his repugnance TO slavery,
but said he did not believe in immediate drastic
action to abolish it. He opposed its extension.
He declared 1t was the duty of congress to pro-
hibit slavery in the territories. And then he put
in turn four questions to Douglas, of which the
second was the momentous question with the far
reaching results.
Lincoln put this question to Douglas against the
frantic protests of his freIrs and political ad-
4oIJ III.
and would lose him the senatorship. And Lin
coins reply this:
Gentlemen, am killing larger game. If Doug
las answers he can never be president, and the
battle of 1860 is worth hundred of this"
Lincoln as history has shown, 100 per
cent patriot and American. 1t is no dsparage-
ment to add that no shrewder politician ever ran
for office. To appreciate the shrewdness of this
particular move a glance at previous events is
necessary.
The historic Missouri Compromise act of 1920
prohibited slavery in the territories north of SO
degrees, thirty minutes latitude. This
pealed and congress substituted for 1t Douglas
Kansas Nebraska act of 1854 This empowered
the people the territories to determine for them
selves whether not they should have slavery.
Then came the "Dred Scott decision" of the
United States Supreme court in 1857. This held
that congress has exceeded Its authority in the
passage of the Missouri Compromise act; that
slaves property, and that the owners of
slaves had the right to take this property into
the territories and hold 1t there like any other
property matter what the wishes of the people
of the territory In question. This decision
the direct opposite of the doctrine of Douglas
Kansas Nebraska act. The decision meant that
slavery could exist in Kansas, whether the Kansas
people were not willing. Moreover, 1t
opened the door wide for the extension of slavery
TO the West and North
When Lincoln ended his single term in congress
in March of 1910 he practically gave up politics
and devoted himself to his law practice. The
passage of the Kansas Nebraska act In 1854