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Show LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY. It is interesting to read of a suggestion of Governor Gov-ernor Gilchrist of Florida that the state of Florida through legislative enactment, should make February, Feb-ruary, 12. Lincoln's birthday, a holiday in the state. The reasons set forth by the governor in his message mes-sage are that Lincoln was a broad statesman and he was possessed of a kindly feeling for the whole people. The reasons are fair, and the inference is correctly drawn. Florida could do nothing more to its credit than to make the birthday anniversary anniver-sary of Lincoln a holiday in the state. Coming from the extreme southeastern state, it shows a refreshing re-freshing attitude toward the north and to the great president who guided the ship of state through the turbulent days of civil war. Florida is not unlike other southern states in the makeup of its population, though there are probably prob-ably a few more native northerners there during a part of the year than in some of the others. The possibilities of Florida,, however, are unlike those of some other states. Its position on the southeastern south-eastern comer of the-country makes it the real gateway to the West Indies as well as the Panama railways and the Panama canal. A railway now building will bring Havana within eighty miles of the Florida coast, and the trip from the cold northern north-ern states to Cuba via Florida, will make Florida even a greater winter resort than it is today. Making Mak-ing Lincoln's birthday a legal holiday in the state would be a fitting memorial to the war president, and it would increase the friendly feeling so. long in evidence between the sane and sensible people of both the northern and southern sections of the country. |
