Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-02-12
: II I II i I . I " :
AMERICAN.

I is good thing for people to have national
heroes-provided the heroes are OF the llgEt
sort. Outstanding characters Of dignity and III
tcgrity III nations past and present provide
the ideals so necessary to the proper life OF any
people. We who have held III our hearts al
abiding reverence and love for or country's
great ones can we'll testify to the powerful i'll
fluence such ideals exert OH the youth Of any
land. during their Young easily impressed anu
formative years In this connection there comes
TO mind al apt quotation rich III its implications
It SAYS ~ our old men shall dream dreams and
Your Young men shall see visions;' and another
one Of similar import. s.Whcre there is no vision
there the people perish y Today we pause to
ponder. for passing hour OF two altogether too
brief. rational hero whose greatness and repu
tation for warm humanity grows ever brighter
with the added years and one who III ample
measure proyidesa vision OF prcemnent attain
ment for our young men-and for our whole
people-to aspire to.
We pay or willing tribute to the memory
of Abraham Lincoln, that great American We
are proud that he was an American; proud that
our own America could produce one so great yet
So supremelv human and loveabe one SO wise
with the deepest wisdom to which man can at
tain.
freely admitting this deep regard for Abra-
ham Lincoln, we have no slightest fear for his
supreme place i'll history. We view with COM
pletc complacency 1he latest attack on the
man Edgar Lee Masters, little man who has
gained passing attention BY writing poetry that
Undoubtedly will die with him, assailS one whom
not only America but the world respects as one
of the great figures Of all time. Masters attack
/ is Of the same character as that ct Rupert
Hughes on Washington few years ago. Today
the nation is getting ready to celebrate the two
/ hundredsh anniversary Of the birth OF Wash
ington Thes nasty, belittlmg criticisms OF
Hughes had no permanent effect whatever upon
the nations love for Washington on upon his
brilliant place IN history. Another score years
and few will even remember that Rupert Hughes
ever lived to criticize a great American and q
great man The same result will follow Masters
attack on Lincoln The affair brings to our
mind something we read few days ago-a lit
tie man hurting egg shells at a mountain.
! Oh Of course national heroes have then
faults, their shortcomings their eceentricites
They wouldn't be human if they did not. They
are not gods; they are Supremacy human. Ano
! for that very reason they mean 50 much to the
: nation that reyeres them. But III Judging then
we do not measure merely their faults; rather dt
we measure their supreme contribution to tn
: world their worth to humanity and to mankind
! Consider Washington, who lead young nation
! through war for independence and into posi-
ton of safety and then helped lay foundation
:, of liberty that has meant unconted blessing
to the whole world. Consider Lincoln who lea,
i that same nation through some of the darkes
hours Of its history and perpetuated that liberty
y Measured by what they gave to humanity the
y are colossal giants and the few faults with whic
. they were hampered pale into complete INSIGHT
. icance.
/ A few years ago we read with much inter
est and benefit life of Lincoln by an outstanC
. . ing Englishman, Lord Charnwood. At that tim
y it was said to be one Of the very best of sue
works 1t is of great interest to read Char