Rangitikei Advocate. SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1909. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9411, 3 April 1909, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. SATURDAY, APRIL 3,1909. EDITORIAL NOTES.

THE centenary nf the birth of Abraham Lincoln, which was celebrated with great enthusiasm in.tbe United States last month may remind the public of other great men born in that year. It is rare indeed that the Engli|h speaking race has produced within twelve months of one another four such famous meu in different spheres as Lincoln, Gladstone, Tennyson and Darwin. The last three were the children of comparatively well to do parents and all had the advantage of a university education, Lincoln’s early life was, in - the words of Mr Roosevelt, “passed in the dire poverty of the poorest of the frontier folk and his rise was by weary and painful labour.’’ Mr Bryce, the British Ambassador to the United States, in a fine speech at tbe Lincoln celebrations at Springfield, thus summed up the salient features of the character of the greatest American since Washington. “Three points,” he said, “should not be forgotten • which, if they do not add to Lincoln’s greatness, make it more attractive. They are unusual enough to enlist our interest, while they awaken our sympathy. One is the fact that he rose all unaided to the pinnacle of power and responsibility. Rarely indeed has it happened in history, hardly at all could it have happened in the last century outside America, that one born in poverty, with no education save what he gave himself, with no help all through his youth from intercourse with educated people, with no friend to back him except those whom the impression of his own character brought round him, should so rise. A second is the gentleness of his heart. Power and the sense of possessing power are apt to harden their possessor. He who has to refuse every hour requests which a private person would feel it natural to indulge, he who has to punish those whom a private person would pity and perhaps forigve, can seldom retain either tenderness or patience. But Lincoln’s tenderness and patience were inexhaustible. It was hard to induce him to be as stern as duty sometimes called him to be. It is often said that all great men are always unscrupulous; and doubtless most of those to whom usage has attached the title have been so. They were, perhaps, no worse than others; but in the pursuit of large aims men grow Gallons as to the means. To retain truthfulness and conscientiousness appears scarcely possible in the stress of life where immense issues seem to make it necessary, and therefore make it right, to toes aside the ordinary rules of conduct in order to secure the end desired. To Lincoln, however, truthfulness and conscientious ■ ness remained the rule of life. The sense of duty was always present, not only to guide him, but to strengthen’ him. He felt and owned his responsibility not only to the people but to a higher Power. Pew great men have so stainless a record.” THE birth returns for Palmerston last quarter which showed that out of 114 births 80 were girls and only 34 boys, give rise to some interesting reflections. The world is conducted on the assumption that the number of men and women is approximately equal and any disturbance of this arrangement would lead to muoh inconvenience. In civilised countries, where alone satisfactory statistics are available, it is found that as a rule more males are born than females. Thus for example in New Zealand tbe yearly returns show that from 103 to 107 boys are born for every 100 girls. The greater difficulty of rearing male infants and the greater loss ot males by accidents and other causes connected with their employment, soon brings down the number of males and in a long settled country it is always found that there is slight excess of women. Nature, however, gives no guarantee that this arrangement shall be a permanent one, and causes over which we have no control might make the state of affairs which has prevailed in Palmerston during the last quarter a general one. A country in which there were three times as many women as men would be a very cations place and therefore it may be hoped that the example set by the parents of Pamersfcon will not become a precedent. THE speech delivered by the Premier last night shows clearly that the necessity for retrenchment has been forced on the Ministry. It will bo satisfactory to the Opposition to note that this work of economy has to be carried out by those who are responsible for the enormous waste during the last few years. We defer further comment on this apology of the Premier for the loss that has been sustained by the taxpayers owing to

the extravagance of the Administration.