The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-05-31
Grateful Americans Pay Tribute When
Great Lincoln Memorial Is Dedicated
Great Tide Of the Common
People Claim Temple of
Freedom As Their Own -
Addresses By Preside mt
Harding and Chief Justice
Taft.

Washington, May S0.-(By the Asso-
Grated Press)-IIomaSe OF people
was poured out today at the shrine
erected by a decade Of patient labor
to Abraham Lincoln. Under the
gaze OF his marble like ness
dim in the Shadowy background OF the
cleaning white temple his country
men have raised TO him. thousands OF
Americans were gathered.
Men great in the councils OF the ma
tions were there. The president came
to accept in the nations name the me-
mortal reared at the rivers brink.
After the president came Mr.. Tart.
gladly 10 give accounting OF his trust
as head Of the committee that saw the
great work TO its completion. Senators.
representatives. Cabiret~.gHicers, ad-
n,irals and generals all were there;
but il was not these, lavish as we're
their tributes TO the great dead, who
made the day historic IN American an
mails. Ii was the swelling tide OF hum
bic people who stood for hours under
blazing sun to claim this temple OF
r;ecdom and the man whose memory
:. CnShrines as their own,
Great Gathering.
Far as the eye could reach from the
high base Of the memorial. Americans
were spread over the lawns and clus'
tered under the trees. How many may
have been there to hear the words OF
the speakers, caught up and flung TO
far distances BY the ampliflers that
studded the coping atop the marble
structure. no man might estimate. But
when the last word had been said.
when the president had gripped hands
with Robert Todd Lincoln al the foot
Of his fathers statue. the public broke
over the barriers and swept un.
checked up the wide steps 70 see for
itself the things that have been
wrought in the peoples name.
There was little Of military splen'
dor about the services. Just -four
ish Of trumpets 10 mark the coming
and going OF President Harding. and
the solemn ritual with which the men
OF the Grand Army OF the Republic
dedicated the silken emblem of re-
united country on the steps OF the
memorial The words Of the formal
orders at this service were spoken IN
voices shaken and thin with ace, and
the hands that held the banner aloft
trembled under the weight OF years;
but the high courage and resolve that
fred tho veterans half century ago
are beyond the reach ot time. as IS
the memory OF the great leader they
honored.
Tribute to the South.
Along the front benches on lower
terrace, facing the great statue above.
were gathered the veterans. To the
right, handful OF old men had donned
again the blue that gave them front
place in the days events. and stood to
act as guard Of honor when the presi-
dent arrived. Flauking these to the
left. a bare score Of gray clad veterans
OF the armies Of the south stood proud
ly to salute the flag that Lincolu's
vision and high courage preserved as
the flag OF one people.
The sight Of these bent men In gray
drew President Harding from his
written text. He was saying that to
Lincoln. greater than any other re-
ward he could have known would have
been the knowledge that his vision
had been fulfilled; that the broad
waters OF the Potomac. flowing within
stones throw Of the memorial,
marks no boundary between two ma
tions, but that from sea to sea Ameri-
cans are one people. Mr.. Harding $
voice thrilled as he paused to draw
attention to the gray clad veterans
and recall that twice since Lincoln
died men OF the southern states. sons
o. such men as these old warriors. had
come In their strength to fight for the
flag to which their fathers returned
after the bitter sixties.
His Anguish softened.
How It would comfort his great
soul" the president said. ito know
that states of the southland join sin
cerely In nonoring him. and have twice
since his day joined with all the fer
yor Of his own great heart in defend.
ing the flag How 1t would soften his
anguish TO know that the south long
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