Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1920-02-05

few, and the most of the people were standing
Democrats and Republicans were packed into
solid mass together, good-naturedly 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 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
assembled to their places on the platform-Ln-
coin was SO tall and Douglas short, Lincoln
so 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 an hour.
And the whole country realized the Importance
of this local Illinois contest. 1t was understood
that this was not so much contest Of 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 was published in full. Men on either side
made the arguments Of their champion their own.
1t was ''Old Abe" and "The Little Giant" over
again at every crossroads. Illinois the po-
litical and moral battle-ground of the nation.
And at Freeport Lincoln made it plain that he
stood ready to sacrifice the senatorship in order
to advance the anti-slavery cause AT the Ottawa
debate six days before, Douglas had asked seven
questions as to Lincoln's attitude toward the va
rious phases of slavery and its management. AT
Freeport Lincoln answered these seven questions
frankly. He confessed his repugnance to slavery,
but said he did not believe in immediate drastic
action to abolish it. He opposed it's extension.
He declared it 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 friends and political adj
visers. They told him it would cause his defeat
and would lose him the senatorship. And Lin
coins reply was 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, was 100 pei
cent patriot and American. 1t is no disparage
ment to add that no Shrewder politician ever raj
for office. To appreciate the shrewdness of this
particular move Il glance at previous events il
necessary
The historic missouri Compromise" act of 1921
prohibited slavery in the territories north of b
Degrees thirty minutes, latitude. This was re
peaed and congress substituted for it Douglas
Kansas-Nebraska act Of 1854. This empOwere
the people of the territories to determine for them
selves whether or not they should have slavery
Then came the 'l)feu ScOlC decision OF IN
United States Supreme court in 1857. This hei
that congress has exceeded its authority in til
passage of the Missouri Compromise act; tina
slaves were property. and that the owners C
slaves had the right to take this property int
the territories and hold it there like any othe
property, no matter what the wishes of the peopl
of the territory in question. This decision wa
the direct opposite of the doctrine Of Dougla
Kansas-Nebraska act. The decision meant til;
slavery could exist in Kansas, whether the kanss
II people were or not willing. Moreover,
@ opened the door wide for the extension of SLAYER
to the West and North.
When Lincoln ended his single term in congre
in March of 1910 he practically gave up polite
and devoted himself to his law practice. TT
passage of the Kansas Nebraska act in Isl