Milford chronicle., 1959-02-06
THE WORDS OF LINCOLN


THE WORDS OF LINCOLN
''Why should there not be patient con-
fidence," Abraham Lincoln asked when he
addressed the nation at his first inaugural,
''in the ultimate justice of the people? Is
there any better or equal hope in the world?"
AT his second inaugural four years later,
as the young republic neared the end of the
strife that nearly shattered it, Lincoln call
ed upon his fellow Americans to act with
malice toward none; with charity for al"
and ito do all which may achieve and cherish
just and lasting peace among ourselves and
with all nations"
Those words speak to us in this genera
ton, as do many of the words Lincoln wrote
and uttered. Now is good time to remem-
Der his words, and to think about them, in
this year which marks the 15Oth anniver-
asry of his birth.
1t is a time to remember how Abraham
Lincoln bespoke the desire that still throbs
in the hearts of free men in the year 1859
"that government of the people, by the peo-
pie, for the people, shall not perish from the
earth" 1t is time to recall, when we be-
come impatient with our leaders, that Lin
coin said Human nature will not change.
In any future great national trial, compared
with the men of this, we shall have as weak
and as strong as silly and as wise, as bad
and as good"
This is one of the tests of great man,
that much of what he says is relevant not
only to his time and circumstances, but to all
times and circumstances. Lincoln stands that
test as well as any man in all history. With
insight and compassion, he touched the deep
central being of humankind.
COMEBACK FOR COP?
Meade Alcorn, chairman of the Republi-
can National Committee, revealed recently
that tremendously expensive program"
was adopted recently by the Republican par
COP.
The comeback plan, and program, is to
be financed by monthly and quarterly con-
tributions from Republicans all over the
country
The. idea of continuing and sustaining
financial contributions for political parties
is an interesting one 1t may well be that=
both parties will resort to this in the end,
even though one is beginning to seq many
appeals for dollars from the average citizen
to finance political parties.
One of the things which will help the
Republican party in the next two years is
the recent election of Senator Barry Gold
water OF Arizona, as chairman of the Senate
Republican Campaign Committee. Goldwa-
ter can probably raise more money for the
Republicans in one day than left-winger
would be able to raise in six months. In ad-
dition, he is highly intelligent and effec-
tive politicians witness his triumph,
bucking the trend in Arizona last November.
And, Americans might as well realize it
politics is growing into big money busi-
ness. Campaigns, considering television
costs and other costs these days, are increas-
ingIy expensive, and it will be far better to
have monthly contributions from many par
ty members than to have a relatively few
very rich men pay the freight. When this
happens, these men sometimes exert an un-
due influence on the government in the event
the party they aided is successful at the polls.
LOOKING AHEAD
J. A. Livingston, the widely syndicated
financial writer questioned 81 of Americas
leading economists and business anlysts as
to what they expect this year to bring. The
consensus: "a nice, comfortable year. No
boom. No wild imitation Just low, steady,
profitable prosperity for all of us"
This view is predicated on various antic-
ipations. One is that the cost of living will
hold practically constant, rising only from
its recent level of 1888 to 124.9 next De-
cember.
1t now remains to be seen whether this
confidence is justified. And there are ''if's"
involved which could upset the predictions of
the ablest forecasters.
One, of course, is government spending.
Washington reports say the Presidents bud
get will be balanced one, or nearly so. But
no one knows if Congress will go along with
that.
Then there is the wage problem. It's
certain that major wage and fringe benefit
boosts will be demanded in steel and else
where If the demands succeed if the in
rise in productivity, it's hard to see how
prices can be kept stable for long.
The point is that the principal forces
that underly imitation show no evidence of