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The Commoner;
3
EBRUARY 12 1909
lexpected like. I didn't lay out- for it at all.
hit there is some way for mo to pay you, and
Irwill find it out after a' little. There is the
bounty in the savings, bank. I guess we could
rrow some money on the mortgage of the
irm. There was my pay, which was some-
Ling, and if ho would wait until pay day I was
lure the boys would help, so I thought we could
lake it up if it wasn't more than five or six
lundred dollars.' 'But it is a great deal more
khan that,' ho said. Then I said I didn't just
lee how, but I was sure I would ffad some way
-if I lived.
"Then Mr. Lincoln put his hands on my
ihoulders and looked into my face aB if he was
liorry, and said: 'My boy, my bill is a very
largo one. Your friends can not pay it, nor
rour bounty, nor the farm, nor all your com
rades! There is only one man in all the world
rho can pay it, and his name is William Scott!
f from this day William Scott does his duty,
io that, if I was there when he comes to die,
he can look me in the face as he does now, and
way, 'I have kept my promise, and I have done
my duty as a' soldier, then my debt will be paid.
rill you make that promise and try to keep
U?' "
Scott did promise and did keep his promise.
e soon earned the reputation of being the
bravest man in his regiment, the faithfullest
fand the kindest. If any man were needed for
the most exposed service,- Scott was always
eager to be called upon. If any other man were
jfin trouble, Scott was his good Samaratan. If
any soldier were sick Scott was his willing
-nurse. He was ready to volunteer for any extra
(Service or labor. Nevertheless he steadily re-
i ruseci nromotion. savine mat ne nan aone notu-
Ring to deserve it.
H Tlift onH nmn in Mnrnh 1Rf9 tipnr Vnrlr-
f V,lW . , ,
ii town. Tne reuerai rorces were on one siae ot
'the James river, the confederates on the other.
General McClellan had ordered General Smith
&to assault and capture the works on the south
iibank. The confederates, however, were too
iBtrongly intrenched. They drove their assail-
Kants back across the river. Scott was almost
i()iuu mau tu luauu me uuuiu uuuu, tuo uiai m
ttne riue pus ana me last to repreat. ne was
.carrying one of his wounded comrades across
I the stream when the fire of the enemy was con
centrated upon him. He staggered with his
living burden to the shore and fell. "He was
L shot all to pieces," said an eye witness. "We
carried him back out of the line of lire and
:laid him on the grass to die. But his strength
was great, and such a powerful man was hard
I to kill." They carried him to a cot in a nearby
tent. Just at daylight the word was passed that
Scott wanted to see all the boys. They went
'into his tent and stood around his cot. His
;fac.e was bright and his voice cheerful.
" 'Boys,' he said, I will never see another
battle. I supposed this would be my last. I
haven't much to say. You all know what you
can tell them at home about me. I have tried
p-to do the right thing. I am almost certain you
Will all say that.' Then,' while his strength was
Kf ailing, Iris life ebbing away, and we looked to
see his voice sink Into a whisper, his face iight-
Ced up and his voice came out natural and clear
as he said: 'If any of you ever have the chance
ft. wish you1 would tell President Lincoln that I
Ihave never forgotten the kind words he said
Kto mo at the Chain bridge; that I have tried
Vto be a good soldier and true to the Hag; that
I should have paid my whole debt to him if I
phad livedi and that now, when I know that I
am dying, I think of his kind face -and thank
him again, because he gave me the chance to
it ail like a soldier in battle and not like a coward
kby the Irands of my comrades.' "
Then he closed his eyes, crossed his hands on
Ihis breast, and that was all. From the New
KYork Herald.
"LET'S MEASURE,"- SAID LINCOLN
To the'?Editor of the Philadelphia Public
iLedeer: During the civil war. when I was a
ilittle boy.' .there came- to visit my parents in
phis city1 a young English officer who was the
f.bearer or some private ajspatcnes to fresiaent
Lincoln from, one of the queen's ministers. He
was of superb physique and appearance, being
lover six feet tall, straight as a ramrod, broad
t shouldered, full chested and of unmistakable
military bearing even in civilian dress. He had
:just fulfilled his delicate mission in Washing
ton and waB returning home. On the morning
&after his. arrival at our, house, while we, were
all at the .breakfast table . (my parents and sev-
i'eral youngsters out of a family of ten children)
t'he gave such a vivid, Indeed dramatic, account
: his first Interview with Abraham Lincoln that
It mado an indelible impression on my memory.
His words, as nearly aB I recall them, were as
follows:
"I expected, you know, of course, that certain
formalities would bo necessary before my intro
duction to your president. I supposed, you
know, that I would first present my credentials
to an under secretary, then perhaps be referred
to tho vice president or tho secretary of state,
and finally bo conducted into tho 'august pres
ence of tho chief magistrate, but there was
nothing of- this sort. I handed my card in at
the door of the White House and in a moment
the messenger returnod and said, 'Mr. Lincoln
says you're to walk right in.' So I walked right
into his office, tho door being open. Ho was
seated at a large fiat table piled up with news
papers and documents. Ho looked up and ex
claimed, in quaint colloquial phraseology, 'My
lands! where was you raised? I guess you must
top me.' He then stood up, stretched his tall
form, grasped mo by tho hand and said, 'Let's
measure; stocking foot, mind!' So he pulled
off his boots, stood up straight against the white
painted door, put a book on his head, and said:
'Now, my good boy, play fair; mark my height
with this pencil and I'll mark yours.' Wo did
this and-tho two marks were so closo together
we could not tell which was the taller of the
two. Then, after a littlo more pleasantry, tho
president asked my business, read my documents
and in tho afternoon himself handed' me tho
answer in a large envelope, which I am care
fully guarding, to bo delivered to Lord .
I tell you frankly that Mr. Lincoln is the great
est of nature's noblemen that I have over seen
or ever expect to meet in my life." O .
Philadelphia, January 29, 1909.
THE GETTYSBURG SPEECH
Four score and seven years ago our
fathers brought forth upon this con-
tinent a now nation, conceived in liberty,
and' dedicated to the proposition that' all
men are created free and equal.
Now we are engaged In a great ciyil
war, testing whether that nation, or any
nation so conceived and so dedicated, can
long endure. We are met on a great
battlefield of that war. We have come
to dedicate a portion of that field as a
final .resting place for those who here
gave their Uvea that that nation might
live. It is altogether fitting and proper
that we should do this.
But in a larger sense, we can not dedl-
cate wo can not consecrate, we can not
hallow this ground. The brave men liv-
ing and dead who struggled here have
consecrated it far above our power to
add or detract. The world will little
note, nor long remember, what we say
here, but it can never forget what they
did here. It Is for us the living, rather, .
to be dedicated here to tho unfinished
work which they who fought here have '
thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather
- for us to e here dedicated to the great
task remaining before us that from
these honored dead we take increased
devotion to that cause for which they
gave the last full measure of devotion
that we here highly resolve that these ,
dead shall not have" died in vain that
this, nation, under God, shall have a
newbirth of freedom and that govern-
ment of the people, by the people, and
for the people, shall not perish from the ,
earth.
" .
G) , ..
WHAT IS 'IT?
' The .New York Evening Post pretends to he
& reputable newspaper, yet it prints this
editorial: ,
"Mr. Bryan declares that, after one more
defeat, he will retire from politics and enter
the ministry. But has he not heard of the
'ministerial dead-line,' beyond which he will
have passed if he delays fouryears? 'Why do
you wait, dear brother?' "
There is not a "country editor" who would
believe that Mr. Bryan ever made such a state
ment; yet the New York Evening Post prints
this absurd story, giving ita authenticity edi
torial endorsement.
Is the editor of the Evening Post as simple
as the publication of this editorial would make
him appear? Or does ho wantonly lay himself
open to the application of "tho, shorter and
uglier term?"
Or is the Now York Evoning Post striving to
win tho place accorded tho Now York Mail by
ChaTles A. Dana when tho great editor dubbed
that fearfully and wonderfully mado publication
"the wild, ass of American journalism?"
O ( W
GOVERNOR HASKELL'S INDICTMENT
.
As foreshadowed rather regularly by tho lit
erary bureau that seems to bq in chargo of
Govornor Haskell's enomies tho federal grand
jury in session at Muskogeo, Okla., has indict
ed tho governor and six others for alleged frauds
in connection with tho scheduling of town lots
in Muskogeo. Tho Associated Press says that
immediately upon hearing of tho governor's in
dictment fifteen of tho wealthiest men of Musko
geo called at tho United States marshal's office
and signed tho governor's bond for $5,000, also
that many more asked to sign It but there was
no more room on tho document.
Through the Associated Press Govornor Has
kell issued tho following statement:
"I have just heard of tho indictment for
conspiracy coupled with seven or eight of tho
oldest and highest characterod'citizonsof Musko
gee, men who developed and built up that
country by their unselfish efforts. From now
on tho proceedings will bo open to both sides.
Hearst's crooked manipulations will bo at a dis
count. I am satisfied the Interior department
has been misled by false statements. I am
confident there has not boon a dishonest act
done by any of tho indicted parties and that
good citizens In general regardless of politics,
feel tho sarao way."
Every accused person Is entitled to tho bone
fit of tho doubt and in all cases it should bo
tho rule that men reserve judgment. But In
tho case of tho governor of Oklahoma it Is par
ticularly true that ho should bo given tho
benefit of the doubt in any federal proceedings
brought against him. This is so because Gov
ernor Haskell was long ago marked for slaughter
by tho president of the United States. Ever
sinco tho governor's tart replies to Mr. Roose
velt's campaign documents every effort has been
mado by certain federal authorities, aided by
an eastern newspaper publisher, to blast Gov
ernor Haskell's career. Govornor Haskell has
already shown that tho lawyer who was sent
to Guthrie to carry on tho crusado against
the governor, -vyas at one time a convict In tho
Michigan penitentiary. Tho Associated Press
reports show that tho federal .grand jury at
Muskogee was surrounded by the Roosevelt
secret service system. Under tho circumstances
it must be clqar that this federal indictment
brought against tho governor of Oklahoma
comes before tho American people in a cloud
of suspicion.
It goes without saying that If Governor Has
kell has been guilty of wrongdoing ho should
bo held to account' and it may not bo doubted
that with all the facilities at Mr, Roosevelt's
command ho could hot escape unless he was
innocent beyond all question. But the governor
of Oklahoma is, also, entitled to fair play. Call'
it "a square deal" if you please although Mr.
Roosevelt has made that high and honorable
term obnoxious within the hearing of fair men.
Assailed by. the president of the United States
In tho very midst of a presidential campaign
and assailed not because of any wrongdoing
but because he was an official of the, party to
, which tho president was opposed there was
nothing for the governor to do but to retire in
order that the national ticket of his party might
not be embarrassed. Ho did retire. He dis
charged his duty like a man. Since then he has
made a gallant fight against tho dark lantern
methods of a national administration that has,
Jn many instances, protected wrongdoers who
were the personal friends of the president yet
who had dishonored their public office.
Under these ciroumstances, then, Governor
Haskell has tho right to ask the American peo
ple, to withhold judgment. Ho has the right
to ask for a square deal. Not from the man
who, posing aB the apostle of tho square deal
for lo, these many years, has shown himself
to be quite willing to do cruel injustice to help
less men; but to the great mass of the American
- people the governor of Oklahoma has the right
to appeal. To the real lovers of fair play, to
the genuine apostles of tho square deal, Gov
ernor Haskell may, in perfect confidence, ad
dress his appeal that judgment at the bai; of
public opinion be reserved until the facts aro
related in an open court.
4
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