Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-07
Fipe Minutes A Day
With Our Presidents
The Great Friend.
BY JAMES MORGAN.

some m recognized him as the Presi-
ldent, n exclaimed in surprise. He
is a very common looking man"
lWhereupon he answered. Friend, the
iLord prefers common looking people.
THAT is the reason he makes so many
of them"
Lincoln liked people, and he always
kept in touch with the mass. He did
mot have to take the word of politi-
lcians or newspapers about what the
country was thinking. He went to the
source. In truth. he needed only to
look within himself TO find a mirror
of the popular mind.
AS he finished his daily wrestle with
Senators and the big-wigs, he plunged
with zest into what he called his pub
lhc opinion BATH" Seated in his chair,
with n leg thrown over its arm, he
received the motley crowd hat poured
In through the wide open door, of
his office. Those who approached him
In W found themselves at ease In
the presence of a friend whose manner
said to every one what he said i'm a
speech to a regiment: IT happen tenn
porarily TO occupy this big White
House. 1 am a living witness that any
lone OF your children may look to come
here as my fathers child has"
The man fairly exhaled democracy,
fraternity. equality. Frederick Doug
las said that Lincoln was the only
white man he ever met who did not
that he recognized his color.
sympathy flowed in a constant
stream from its fountain in this great
heart. A mothers tears, a baby's cry,
a fathers plea, a crutch or an empty
sleeve never failed to move Lincoln
IF he has no friend, I'll be his friend"
ne said as he stopped the shooting of
a soldier, under sentence of a court
martial.
My poor GIRL" he said to a woman
who pleaded for the life of her soldier
brother. you have come here with no
governor or Senator or member OF
congress to speak In your cause; you
seem honest and truthful and you
don't wear hoops. and I'll be whipped
II l don't pardon him."
HE hated Friday-"butcher's day."
as he called it-because that was the
usual time appointed for carrying out
death sentences in the army. They
are shooting a boy today, 1 hope /
not done wrong to allow IT,"
There are already too many weep
ing Widows; don't ask me to add one
10 the number" On one pardon he
wrote. Il think this boy can do us
more good above ground than under
it." And here is another character
90 AAitD1tibCs IL YOU nave HUI SIlOl
Denis Mccarthy, don't"
Even the coward had a friend in
this brave man. IF God Almighty
gives a man a cowardly pair of legs,
how can he help their running away
with him A pigeon hole in his desk
was stuffed with these leg cases as
he labeled them.
A soldier. whom he had spared a
dishonorable death before the firing
cnI116 p1Q found dnad On N ho4fIn
field, and in his pocket was a photo
graph of his deliverer, inscribed
God bless President Lincoln" Like
this Is the oft-told story of the Sleep
ing sentinel. Lincoln went personally
to see and to pardon that Vermont
boy, who repaid him in his first battle
by swimming a river under fire again
and again to carry the wounded to
safety until he had given his life for
his comrades.
This native democrat never put on
Presidential He did not need
them. His Unborn dignity protected
him. Good morning." he surprised
a passerby at the White House gate al
6 o'clock. Il am looking for a news
boy. When you get to the corner L
wish you would e n up this way"
The hard muscles n steel nerves
of the railsplitter enabled this Presi-
dent to bear responsibilities. labors
and annoyances such as would have
broken perhaps any other man in the
Presidential line. He still could grip
an ak bv the end of the handle and
hold 1t out even with his shoulders.
His sense of humor was his safety
valve. IF I couldn't tell these stories
] should die" he explained to a solemn
Congressman who impatiently protest
ell that he had not come to the White
House TO hear Jokes,
The nan who kept all great deci-
sions to himself could not enjoy a lit
tie joke alone. See him stalking the
White House corridor In night shirt
and bare legs to read to young Mich
LAY and Hay. his secretaries. a pun
Unconscious that he . was
infinitely funnier." said John Hay
Here's another snap shot from Hay;
He e Shapespere to me, the end OF
Henry VIII, and the beginning OF
'Richard Ill., till my heavy eyelids
caught his considerate notice and he
sent me to bed"
prison cell through four terrible years
THE shouts of his two little boys a.
play always were welcome notes of JOY
to their care-weighted father. He
never objected to their noisily bursting
in upon him. and often he Joined th'
lchildren in their boiSterouS games il
the White House grounds.
In the dark days when the Natior
itself was at deaths door, one of tn
boys died. For weeks the grievin;
father strove in vain to win a spirit o
resignation. dropping his work for
day at a time and surrendering to hi
sorrow. Doubtless the fortitude h
gained at last in that wrestle wit
himself became part of the heroi
faith which lifted him above the gen
eral despair when the fortunes of tn
Union sank lowest.
After Willte's death the other BIO
received a double share of paternal al
lection. Tad was in the habit of &C
. ing to his father in the evening an
!, making a report of all that had har
lpened since morning, usually fallin
lasleep in the midst of his prattle. La,
ing the little fellow on the 1oor by tn
lside of his desk. Lincoln returned I
his heavy tasks until his own long da
Twas done, when he took his sleepir
boy on his shoulder and carried hi
off to bed.
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