VI
The Commoner
NOVEMBER, 1916
21
them, and he had s, great advantage oyer his
opponent in being "able to state those objections
frankly, for Judge Douglas neither denounced
nor defended slavery as an institution his plan
embodied a compromise, and he Could not dis
cuss slavery upon its merits without alienating
either the slave owner or the abolitionist.
Brevity is the soul of wit, and a part of Lin
coln's reputation for wit lies in his ability to
condense a great deal into a few wprira. He
was epigrammatic. A molder of thought is not
necessarily an originator of the thought molded,
just as lead moided in the form df bullettf has
its effectiveness increased, so thought may have
its propagating power enormously increased by
being molded into a form that the eye catches
and the memory holds. .Lincoln was the spokes
man of his party-; he .gave felicitous expression
to the thoughts of his followers.
His Gettysburg speech is not surpassed, if
equalled, in beauty, simplicity, force and ap
propriateness by any speech of the same length
of any language. It is the world's model in
eloquence, elegance, and condensation. He might
safely rest his reputation as an orator on that
speech alone.
He was apt in illustration no one morerso.
A simple story or simile drawn from every-day
life flashed before his hearers the argument that
he desired to present. He did not speak over
the heads of his hearers, and yet his language
was never commonplace. There, is strength in
simplicity, and Lincoln's style was simplicity
itself.
He understood the power of the interroga
tory; some of his most powerful arguments were
condensed Into questions. No one who discussed
the evils ot Separation and the advantage to be
derived from the preservation of the Union ever
put the matter more forcibly than Lincoln did
when, referring to the possibility of war andlhe
certainty of peace some time, even if the Union
waB divided, he called attention to the fact that
the same questions would have to be dealt with,
and then asked; "Can enemies make treaties
easier th'an friends can make laws?" " -
;v if
He made frequent use of Bible language and
of illustrations drawn from Holy Writ. It is
said that when he was preparing his Springfield
speech of 1858, he spent hours trying to find
language that would express the idea that dom
inated his public career namely, that a repub
lic could not permanently endure half free and
half slave, and that finally a Bible passage
flashed through his mind, and he exclaimed :"I
have found it! 4A house divided against itself
can not stand.' ' And probably no other Bible
passage ever exerted as much influence as this
one in the settlement of a great controversy.
I have enumerated some, not all but the
more important of his characteristics as an
orator, and on. this day I venture for, the mo
ment to turn the thoughts of this audience away
from the grea.t work that he accomplished as a
patriot, away from his achievements in the line
of statecraft,, to the means employed by him to
bring before the public the ideas which at
tracted attention to him. His power as a pub
lic speaker was the foundation of his success,
and while it is obscured by the superstructure
that was reared upon it, it can not be entirely
overlooked asrthe: returning anniversary of his,,
birth calls increasing attention to the widening
influence of his work. With no military career
to dazzle the. eye. or excite the Imagination; with
no public service to make his name familiar to
the reading public, his elevation to the presi
dency would have been impossible without his
oratory. The .eloqucricy of Demosthenes and,
Cicero were .no more necessary" to ,their work,,
and Lincoln deserves to have his name written
on the scroll vwith theirs.
(From "Lincoln As An Oratar," speech y at
Springfield, Ills., February 12, 1909.)
THE GETTYSBURG SPEECH
And on .this memorial day we shall fall short
of our duty if we content ourselves with praising
the dead or complimenting the Jiving and fail to
make preparations for those responsibilities
which present times and present conditions im
pose upon us? We can iind instruction in that
incomparable ; addreea - delivered, by ; Abraham
Lincoln on the battlefield; p Gettysburg, . IT
SHOULD BE READ AS A, PART ,OE THE.'EX
ERCISES OF THIS DAT ON EACH RETURN-
SJSrSSS, DECLARATION OF INDE
PENDENCE IS READ ON THE FOURTH OF
JULY.
(From Arlington Memorial Day Oration.)
' 'r.
; r AT THE TOMB OF NAPOLEON
When I visited Europe for the first time I
had in mind a-visit to the Tomb of Napoleon,
and, remembering that Ingersoll had described
in beautiful words the impression which a sim
ilar, visit made upon him, I secured a book con
taining what he said. I intended to quote from
Ingersoll in writing about the tomb but when I
visited it myself I saw something which Inger
soll did not see, or which, If he saw, it did not
impress him. It was a picture of Christ upon
the croBs in a stained glass window just beyond
and above the sarcophagus "In which rest the
ashe of this restless man." I do not know
whether it was by accident or design that this
god of war thus sleeps at the feet of the Prince
of Peace, but to mo it symbolized the victory of
love over force, the final triumph of that philos
ophy which finds happiness as well as greatness
in doing good.
(From Thfc First Commandment.)
BY THE GRAVE OF A FRD3ND
At another time I shall take occasion to
speak of the life of Philo Sherman Bennett and
to draw some lessons from his career; today I
must content myself with offering a word of
comfort to those who knew him as husband,
brother, relative or friend and as a friend I
need a share of this comfort for myself. It is
sad enough to consign to the dust the body of
one we love how infinitely more sad if we were
compelled to part with the spirit that animated
this tenement of clay. But the best of man does
not perish. We bury the brain that planned
for others as well as for its master, the tongue
that spoke words of love and encouragement, the
hands that were extended to those who needed
help and the feet that ran where duty directed,
but the spirit that dominated and controlled all
rises triumphant over the grave. We lay away
the implements with which he wrought, but the
gentle, modest, patient, sympathetic, loyal,
brave and manly man whom wo knew is not
dead and can not die. It would be unfair to
count the loss of his departure without counting
the gain of his existence. The gift of his life we
have and of this the tomb can not deprive us.
Separation, sudden and distressing as it is, can
not take from the companion of his life the
recollection of forty years of affection, tender
ness and confidence nor from others the memory
of helpful association with him. If the sunshine
which a baby brings into a home, even If its
sojourn is brief, can not be dimmed by its death;
if a child growing to manhood or womanhood
brings to the parents a development of heart
and' head that outweighs any grief that its de
mise can cause, how much more does a long
life full of kindly deeds leave us --indebted to
the Father who both gives and takes away. The
night of death makes us remember with grati
tude the light of the day that has gone while we
look forward to the morning.
The Impress made by the life Is lasting. We
think, it wonderful, that we can, by means of
the telephone or the telegraph talk to those who
are many miles away, but the achievements ot
the heart are even more wonderful, for the
heart that gives inspiration to another heart in
fluences all the generations yet to come. . What
finite mind, then, can measure the influence of .
life that touched so many lives as did our '
friend's? ' ' . ,
To the young, death Is an appalling thing, but,
it ought not to be to those whose advancing
years warn them of its certain approach. As wo
journey along life's roatl we must pause again
and again to bid farewell to some fellow trav
eler. In the course of nature the father and the
mother die, then brothers and sisters follow, and
finally the children and. the children's children
cross to the unknown world beyond one by one
"from love's shining circle the gems drpp away"
'until the "king of terrors" loses His power to
affright usf.and the increasing company on the
farther shore make us first willing and then
anxibus to jpin. them. It is God way. If Is
Gda's way.. . ;..,.,
(From-Under Qtker 13ags.) ' ' -
THE CHILDREN'S FOE
Mr. Chairman, Dr, Riley, Children, Friends:
It seems an intrusion for grown-up people to
tako part In these exorcise, and I shall not vlo
lato the proprieties by trespassing long Mpon
your time. This is Riley. Day and the children
aro hla hosts; all the children belong to Riley
and Riley belongs to thorn. You have Jst
heard hira described as chief among the song
birds; perhaps that explains his migration to
Florida. Like the other song birds, he divides
his tlmo between tho north and the south In
crdor that ho may sing the year round.
I ask your attention while I speak two words,
one personal and one as your representative. My
children were brought up on Riley food, and I
hereby acknowledge tho family's lndobtcdnoss
to him. My Wife has whiled away many an even
ing hour reading his homely and wholcsomo
rhymes to those who aro to carry our blood down
through tho years to come. Our son who
knows how many pitfalls ho might havo stumbled
into had ho not been warned away by "The gob
lins will got you if you don't watch out" was
especially fond of Dr. Riley's writings, so much
so that, when a few years ago, tho ominont au
thor honored us with a set of his works, we In
scribed on tho fly leaf of tho first volume, "with
remainder over to Wm. Jennings Bryan, Jr.,"
and tho books will go from our library to his In
recognition of this early attachment.
And now, Dr. Riloy. a word from tho audi
ence to you. I do hot know whom you had In
mind when you Immortalized tho words "Good
bye Jim, tako care of yourself." If It was your
father's parting advice, yo'u have obeyed It to
the letter; you have taken care of yourself by
devoting yourself to others tho only really ef
fective way. Your life has proven anew that
truth of tho proverb: "There is a scattering that
increasoth." You have made a success of life
such a success as few of your generation have
achieved.
Your name Is not found in the Hat of our
multi-millionaires, but you havo secured what
all their money can not buy that "loving favor"
which is rather to be chosen "than silver and
gold."
The blue books do not record your name
among the great legislators of the nation, but
this need not disturb you, for you aro entitled
to tho distinction embodied In the words "Let
me write the songs of a nation and I care not
who makes its laws."
You do not claim a place among the great
warriors of tho world, and yet you, the "Hero
of the Nursery," are the commander-in-chief of
a larger army than any general ever led, and
those who follow you know not the cruel clamor
of war or tho mingled miseries of the battle
field, but rather the joy of, innocenco and the
laughter of youth.
You are not of the royal company of kings,
and yet you reign with undisputed sway over tho
twilight hours.
You have never aspired to tho presidency of
the United States, and yet without alrousing the
animosities of a campaign you have won a vic
tory nation-wide. I constitute myself the mes-
senger of the masses to inform you that, at an
election where all could vote, you have been
unanimously chosen to preside in the hearts ot
the children of America chosen for life, and to
live in memory forever after. '
(From Riley Day address at Miami, Fla., 1916.)
MIRACLE' OF MIRACLES 18 MAN
Miracle of miracles is man! Most helpless of
all God's creatures In infancy; most powerful
when fully developed, and interesting always.
What unfathomed possibilities are wrapped
within .the. .swaddling clothes that en
fold 9,n infant! Who can measure a
child's influence for weal or woe? Be
fore It can lisp a word, it has brought to one
woman the sweet consciousness of motherhood,
and it has given to one man the added strength
that epmes with a sense of responsibility. Be
fore its tiny hands can life a feather's weight,
they have drawn two hearts closer together and
its innocent prattle echoes through two live.
Every day that child in iU growth touches aad
ckange some one; not a year in nil Its history
hut. that it leavM aa imprM upon the raee. N
What iacalcttlahle saace between a statue, how
ever fiawle. the marble, howtVer faiiltlete the
wrksiaftA$p, a4 a hasta- teimg 'alasie wttk
.the pasi.ef etacalty."
' If the atatue can not, like a human hig,
l
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