Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-14
MiSQUoTlkG LINCOLN
Statement Attributed to Him Pronounced a
Forgery. t>ss
An Extract From "a Financial Cate
chism"-Other Sentences Taken: :
From Their Context. ;

Of Sound money newspapers that the |
managers of the campaign for the silver |
standard are not at all scrupulous in their |
utterances and literature as to the genuine |
ness Of many quotations ascribed by them |
to Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and |
others of the revered founders and preserv- |
ers of our country.
have recently had some experience as to |
the truth of this charge. which may be |
worthy Of narration. .se. !
A friend at Denver, Col, sent me a num-
Der of pamphlets issued by and for the sill
yer party there Among them was one
with the title Sound Money Questions. A
Financial Catechism." by Arnold A Bow
hay Of Denver. On the back leaf is printed
communication to the Right Rev. John F.
Spalding, Episcopal bishop of Colorado.
from NJ. c. Jackson, secretary Of the Den
yer chamber OF commerce. In 1t Bishop
Spalding is asked if Mr.. A. A. Bowhay Is
known to him to be reliable, and whether .
a statement coming from him would be
worthy of serious consideration by the
chamber of commerce. Bishop Spalding re-
spends under date of August 25, 1885, that,
Mr.. Bowhay is man Of integrity, who has
been for many years the financial agent Of
the board of trustees of the Episcopal
Church in the diocese of Colorado; that any
statement of facts he might make could be
relied upon.
Other Endorsements are also given, bear
Ing later dates, by the president Of the
chamber of commerce, by the charmen Of
the 'btmetallic committee of the chamber
and of the silver committee" and by the
Denver Republican, Rocky Mountain News
and other silver organs.
In looking hastily over the contents of
this Financial Catechism' whose author
Is thus Endorsed as a truly good and reliable
man. found on page 45 the article ascribed
to the London Financial News "of March
IT, year not specified). which has been
proved to be base forgery the testi-
mony of the News itself, In its issues of
August IL and September IA, 1896, as has
been shown In The Star.
On page A. under the heading "Abraham
Lfncolns Prophecy Nearly Fulfilled" T
found the following:
''Mr. Lincoln said: AS q result Of the
var corporations have been enthroned, and
an era of corruption in high places will
follow. and the money power of the country
will endeavor to prolong its reign by work
ing upon the prejudices of the people, until
all wealth Is aggregated in few hands and
the republic Is destroyed. l feel at this
moment more anxiety for the safety Of my
country than ever before. even in the midst
| of war God grant that my suspicious may
prove groundless.' "
1t needs, fcourse, no more than average
discernment On the part Of any reader Of
this prophecy" to convince him that 1t Is
rot" l. Is inherently fraudulent. for it
makes Mr.. Lincoln appear to speak after
the close of the war. which he did not live
| to see. And during Mr.. Lincolns lifetime
corporations had not been 'enthroned."
And he never expressed a fear that as a
| result Of the war an era of corruption in
| high places would follow, or that the re-
public would be destroyed. He wasn't that
kind of man. But 1t is unnecessary to go
into detail further. The miserable stuff
| could never have been uttered by Abraham
Lincoln.
| l desired. however to have the opinion Of
| Mr.. John G. Nicolay, ana / submitted the
| terms base forgery. He said the great
| President never said 1t or wrote 1t or any
| thing that could be distorted into meaning
1t. Thereupon wrote to my Denver friend
| to call upon Mr.. A. A. Bowhay and tell him
| that the article was denounced as forgery
| and to demand to know its source; when
and where Mr.. Lincoln said 1t.
And here was the answer: Tell him"
| quoth Bowhay. Il will produce my author
! ity provided he will procure admittance
| to the columns of the New York Tribune
| and the Churchman Of my bond articler'
| No doubt, lie had written some sort of
| drivel on the bond sales, which the news
papers named had refused to publish.
He said further: The best answer to
this kind of demand Is to send him some
more argument CO. Send him Abraham
Lincolns Warning to Labor Against Mon
| archists Money Power)."
My friend complied with this suggestion
and sent another sample. 1t is a leafiet
| with that heading. 1t begins as follows:
president Lincoln said:
Monarchy itself Is sometimes limited at
as possible refuge from the power Of
the people.
I'm my present position I could scarcely
be justified were to omit warning voice
against this approach OF returning despot-
ISM"
These are the first two OF six sentences
which are taken from President Iincoln's
message to Congress December 3. 1861.
Now, see the audacity of this unscrupu-
lous garbler. Here is the preceding SEN
tence in the message 1t appears in the
| Congressional Globe. second session, Thir-
| ty-seventh Congress:
'It continues to develop that the irsur-
rection Is largely, II not exclusively, q war
on the first principle of popular govern.
ment-the rights Of the people. Conclusive
evidence of this Is found In the most
grave and maturely considered public docu-
ments as well as In the general tone OF
the insurgents. In those documents we
find the abridgement of the right of suf-
, frage and the denial to the people Of all
right to participate in the selection of pub
lie officers except legislative. boldly ad-
vocated with labored arguments to prove
that large control of the people in govern
ment Is the source of all political evil
| Monarchy itself Is sometimes limited at as
possible refuge from the power Of the
; people.
'In my present position 1 could scarcely b.
justified were I to omit raising a warning
, | voice against this approach of returning
| despotism."
Is It not diabolical that Abraham Idrrcolr
5 in the north monarchy itself is sometime!
limited at as possible refuge from tn.
, power OF the people," when it was tn,
, public utterances and documents of thos
in rebellion that he was referring to?
was in the southern confederacy that fire,
) labor was decried and the right of FREE
, suffrage was being argued against. It wa
l there that the denial to the people of tn,
right to participate in the selection of pub
. lie officers was being boldly advocated.
was this approach Of despotism" agains
which he raised his warning voice.
To commence the quotation at the poin
. | where it cannot appear that the arraign
ment Is Of the public utterances of the lead
ers Of the southern confederacy Is possibly
in Colorado, no m9resthan smart politics
But will It be believed? This abominabl
r CARRIED quotation has been adopted by tn
, democratic campaign committee; and. ma.
be found in all Ifs mlntilated ,defprnaity ol
: page 227 Of the campaign hand book, pre-
pared by Hon: Benton, sMcMillina
> - H - ohsE4h VEN
~, Ths Kind He Liked. ,asa..-.
| From the Buffalo Enquirer.
heard a story about the lamented H
c. Bunner the other day. No doubt tn,
: | story Is an ancient one among literar,
men. but is still good enough to acquain