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Show Lincoln Tribute If .. CemmuMratias a laauua toraasta kaltl rvtnty-thrM rwa ajra. A brwue statue et Abr.hu. Uncola imnlWd at FrMaort, 111, turn of tna Uncola-Dotujlu debate ea Aufust 17. IS5S. Out of the mists of the past the majestic figure of Abraham Lincoln, the debater, emerged In bronze, on August Au-gust 27, lust to take Its rightful place In Freeport, the city which be made a landmark In American history In bis mpmnrnhlA ffahuf with Rtonrton A Douglas, August 27, 185a In the presence of a throng far In excess of the 15,000 people who crowded crowd-ed Into Freeport seventy-one years before, be-fore, an heroic statue of Abraham Lincoln was unveiled In that city. The great crowd that made Its pilgrimage pil-grimage to Freeport on that occasion waa unlike that of seventy-one years before. Then the greater part were farmers and plain folk agitated over the Issue of slavery, which they came to bear clarified. Last year the throng came to pay tribute to the greatness of Lincoln. Of particular Interest was a venerable vener-able group of men and women whose enviable distinction was that they had beard one or more of the debates between be-tween Lincoln and Douglas In the summer and fall of 1858. Also conspicuous con-spicuous In tbe group of distinguished visitors was an official delegation from the legislature of Wisconsin, then in session, which unanimously adopted a resolution to send a delegation to the unveiling. . The statue, which Is a gift to Free-port Free-port by W. T. Italeigh, prominent manufacturer, man-ufacturer, Is tbe first statue of Its kind and the first one to mark one of the seven debate spots of tbe Lincoln-Douglas campaign. It represents repre-sents Lincoln In the earlier period of life, before he wore a beard and when In Ida strong mid-manhood. It stands In a natural setting of trees In Taylor park. |