Belt Valley times., 1925-02-05
~ JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN

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Y ITH the coming Of February u
2 each year sees the celebration Of
Lncons birthday with increasing
G fervor It Is true, In one sense,
1#W 81 that no new thing can be said Of
~ Abraham Lincoln. II Is two gem
erati0ns since II was said over his
deathbed, "E0w he belongs to the
ages" As has been well said In
the National House Of Representatives:
There Is no new thing to be said OF Lincoln.
There 10 thing to be said OF the mountalns,
or Of the sea, OF Of the stars The years 30 their
way. but the old mountains lift their gran
same mysterious beats upon the shore, and
the same silent stars keep holy vigil above tired
turn forever IN unweared homage And thus,
with Lincoln. for he mountain in grandeur of
spirit; he In under voice Of mystic loneli-
ness. he was star IN stsAdfast purity OF purpose
aid OF service. And he, too, abides. The years 20
their way, but with the name Of Lincoln child
hood stili learns to voice patriots devotion. and
with the name OF Lincoln tears called from old
mons eyes. and there ls new thing to be said
Of him. But while the republic endures upon
whose altar he laid his great mind and heart,
service and sacrince are honored In the earth. the
name OF Lincoln will be spoken In undying love BY
the aons OF men.
But from another viewpoint Is It not true For
between celebrations OF that birthday all the world
q studying Lincoln filling In details Of his life and
career. making estimates Of hh character,
writing books on him, searching for relics Of him.
telling the familiar stories that he told and haIlng
new ones, listening to aged men who knew him,
increasing its appreciation Of him.
Verify OF Lincolnlana there Is no end. And this
is as 1t should be For the world never saw
greater man than Abraham Lincoln No man ever
deserved better Of his country. America rejolces
in him a man entirely American. But the world
has long since taken him to Its heart az an orna.
ment TO the human race Though for many year
the great Of earth have laid wreaths on his sar.
cophagus. he is a living personality IN the minds
af,r, Il f~oH
with eagerness For his principles are acknowI-
edged to be the only principles upon which de-
mocrncy can safely be based There Is nothing
more important, therefore. than to know what
kind OF man he was.
One new thing at least Is thss There has be-
gun pilgrimage by Young America to that most
sacred OF ali the many Lincoln Shrines his home
af Springfield and the tomb where rests his sacred
clay In the closing days OF last year 1850 schoel
ehIldren from q towns In southwestern Iowa and
noFthWesterS Missouri united In pllgrtmegs TO
springfield sod laid wreath on his sarc0pheRua
Nexs, boy scdufa from Chicago made this pilgrim
aga This year win see many such pgrimszse BY
y0ung crusaders for national welfare eegex 70
gain vision and strength from actual contact with
sheae Lincoln snslnsE
Yes; there are rsauy kincoln shrinea The most
maanfncent- ths world holds no finer memofi-
i e. smaz.ls the Lincoln Memorinl at Washington.
wmk szslkiag photograph reproduced herewith IL
a4kan fysm the portipo Of ths WaahingsSA nesnori-
n Is fAR distance II the WashluNt0p monument
~haz 1he ozse photograph shows both the nsemorial
zo kze 1N8fhea Of His Country" and tina memorial
- sAs ~sapsog q fals countxy~
wsso s,aA ksss greater. Washington or Lincoanf
a&s wesSs mnA ceased 20 d&bate the muclyexeo
Aze8assN WMmAsmafen LED the Cnienial Armies to
8&aSarx IN &as M8veatfop. helped 10 write she Con
akhmfzzm amA w#A ans @Fss President Il = enoueh
ii ANs f4#s Asz @NsSh washington had fought Tor
z e ~ u ss.% 44A 544snaimsza5 6nuueR az deefruc-