The Jasper news., 1921-12-15

0ufub, ne na0 oDMun 70 1tuoy tno
art Of Irving and Walter Scott and Of
new writer Of the mime Of Dickens.
There were four men who slept with
him In the room above Speeds store.
and one Of them has told how he used
to lie sprawled on the floor, with his
pillow and candle, reading long after
the others had gone to sleep. Samson
writes that he never knew man who
understood the art Of using minutes as
he did. A detached minute was to
him a thing to be filled with value.
Yet there were few men so deeply in
love with fun, He loved to laugh at
a storytelling and to match his hui
NOR with Thompson Campbeli---a ia
nous raconteur-and to play with
children. Fun was as necessary to
him as sleep. He searched for it In
people and in books.
He came often to Samson's house
to play with "Mr. Nimble" and to talk
with Joe. Some of his best thoughts
came when he was talking with Joe
and some Of his merriest moments
when he was playing with "Mr. MIN
ble." He confessed that It was the
latter that reminded him that he had
better be looking for a wife.
But Lincoln was only one Of many
remarkable personalities in Springfield
who had discovered themselves and
were seeking to be discovered. Sun.
dry individuals were lifting their heads
above the crowd, but not with the
modesty and self-dIstrust of Honest
Abe. "Steve" Douglas, whom Samson
had referred to as that little rooster
of a man," put on the stills of brave
and ponderOus vigor. His five-foot
stature and his hundred pounds of
weight did not fit the part of Achilles.
But he would have no other. He blus-
tered much with spear too heavy for
his hands. Lincoln used 60 call him
kind Of popgun.
This free-fOr-aIl joust of individual.
ism-One of the first fruits Of freedom
In the West-gave to the life of the lit
tie village rich flavor of comedy.
The great talents of Douglas had not
been developed. His character was as
yet shifty and shapeless. Some of
the leading citizens openly distrusted
him. Lincoln never liked this little
man, in opposing whom he was to
come to the fulness of his power on
the platform. 1t is evident that Lin.
coin regarded him as an able advocate
Of small sincerity looking chiefly for
personal advancement.
There is a passage in the diary
which illustrates tie character of DOu-
glas and Lincoln's knowledge of it.
The passage relates to a day in the
famous debates Of 1858. Lincoln had
not reached Havana in time to hear
the speech of his opponent. A great
crowd had come by train and In
wagons. Taking advantage OF his abb
sence. Douglas had called Lincoln 81
liar, coward and a sneak" and de-
clared that he was going to fight him.
Lincoln heard OF this and said in
his speech:
II shall not ight with Judge Doug
las. A fight could prove nothing al
issue In this campaign. 1t might prove
that he is more muscular man than
1, or that am a more muscular man
than he, but this subject Is not men.
toned in either platform. Again, ne
and l are really very good friends and
when we are together he would no
more think of fighting me than of
fighting his wife. Therefore, when the
Judge talked about fighting, he was
not giving vent to any I'll feeling, but
,,,o. e.x,tnn 70 awoita Iof ne coy
enthusiasm against me on the part of
his audience"
Justice accomplished her ends now
and then with comic displays Of VIC.
lence in the prairie capital. One night
Abe Lincoln and certain OF his friends
captured shoemaker who had beaten
his wife and held him at the village
pump while the aggrleved woman gave
him sound thrashing. So this phase
of imperialism was cured in Spring
field by chair off the same dog" as
Lincoln put 1t.
One evening, while e. D. Baker was
speaking In the crowded village court.
room above Lincoln's Office and waA
rudely interrupted and In danger OF
assault, the long legs Of Honest Abe
suddenly appeared through a scuttle
hole IN the ceiling above the platform.
He leaped upon It and selling a stone
water pitcher defied any one to inter
fere with the right Of free speech In
worthy cause.
So It will be seen that there were
zestful moments In these sundry vindi-
cations Of the principles Of Democracy