The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-02-13
ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND TEN
PERANCE.

We know of no more fitting time or no more
fitting subject to bring before the public as the
| one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Abra-
| ham Lincoln, the sixteenth President or the
United States, is being celebrated, than that OF
his attitude for the temperance question
Throughout his career Lincoln was total OBJ
stainer, and his sympathy with the most radical
temperance ideas and the demand for the sever
est legislation was strong and underwent no
change. 1t has always been known to those
particularly interested in total abstinence that
Lincoln was a supporter of their principles, but
no effort was made to ascertain the strength and
extent of his sympathy until recent bold for
Reries by the INSCRIPTIONS defenders of the
drink traffic led to investigation.
In the very exciting local option contest in
Atlanta Ca, in 1887 the anti Prohibitionists as
a means of influencing the large negro vote,
issued a flaming circular picturing Lincoln in
the act of striking the chains from slave, while
underneath were printed these words: "Prohibi-
ton will work great injury to the cause of tenn
perance." "A Prohibition law strikes blow at
the very principles on which our Government
was founded" Similar utterances were attrib-
uted to him in various newspapers in the North
and South Dakota amendment campaigns of 1889,
and In a pamphlet entitled Prosperity, and
40. called "State Business Mems and Bankers
Association in Nebraska in 1890. These were
submitted to MIR. John G. Nicolay, Lincoln's
private secretary and biographer and he pro-
nounced them spurious.
In his youth, when II years old, Lincoln pre-
nared an article on Temperance" which was
shown to Rev. Aaron Farmer, Baptist preach
err and by him furnished to an ONO newspaper
for publication. On February ~, 1912, he de-
liyered an address before the Washingtonian
Temperance Society of Springfield, ILL.,, in which
he said 80. +ho world would ba vaot,v
benefited by a total and final Punishment from Il
of all intoxicating drinks, seems to me not now
an omen question. hree-fOurths OF mankind
eonfers the affirmative with their tongues. and,
/ believe all the rest acknowledge it in their
hearts. Ought any, then. to refuse their aid in
doing what the good of the whole demands :?
There seems ever to have been proneness in
the brilliant and warm-blooded to fall into this
vices the demon OF intempeEance ever seems 70
and generosity. What one of us can call to mind
some relative, more promising in youth than all
his fellows. who has fallen victim to his repac-
ity +? He ever seems to have gone forth like the
EGYPTIAN angel of death, commissioned to slay,
If not the first, the fairest of every family. Shall
he not fe arrested in his desolating career?
s'If the relative grandeur of revolutions shall
be estimated by the great amount OF human
misery they alleviate ana me sman amounI tney
world shall ever have seen. VI our political
revolution of 176 we are all justly proud. BUTT
had its evils too. Turn now to the temperance
revolution In it we shall find stronger bond
age broken, a viler slavery manumitted, great
er tyrant deposed in it more OF want supplied,
more disease healed, more sorrow assuaged Dy
it no orphans starving, no widows weeping.
And what q natural ally this to the cause OF
political freedom; with such an aid its march
cannot fail to be on and on, till every son of
earth shall drink in rich fruition the sorrow
ouenching draughts of perfect liberty. And
when the victory shall be complete, when there
shall he neither slave nor drunkard on the
earth, how proud the title of that land which
may truly claim to be the birthplace and the
cradle of both those revolutions that shall have
ended in that victory How nobly distinguished
that people who shall have planted and nurtured
to maturity both the political and moral freedom
Several accounts have been written of Lin
coins refusal to furnish intoxicating liquors to
the committee which visited MN az ms nome In
of his nomination for President by the Republ1-
can Convention in Chicago. In +. T: Carpenters
little book, six Months at the White House
with Abraham Lincoln he reprints the follow
ing from the Portland Press:
"After this ceremony Rad passed Mr.. Lincoln
remarked to the company that as an appropriate
conclusion to an interview so important and
interesting as that which had just transpired, he
supposed good manners would REQUIRE 5aat ne
drink; and opening door that LED into a room
in the rear he called out, Mary MaryF girl
replied to the call, to whom Mr.. Lincoln spokea
few words in an undertone, and. closing the door,
returned again to converse with his guests Ina
few minutes the maiden entered, bearing large
waiter containing several glass tumblers, and q
large pitcher in the midst, and placed 1t upon
the centre table, Mr.. Lincoln arose, and grave
ly addressing the company, said: Gentlemen.
we must pledge our mutual health in the most
healthy beverage which God has given TO man.
1t is the only beverage have ever used or al
lowed in my family, and cannot Conscientious
ly depart from it on the present occasion. 1t is
pure Adams ale from the spring. And taking
a tumbler he touched it to his lips and pledged
them his highest respect in a cup OF cold water.
OF course all his guests were constrained to adj
mire his consistency and to join in his example"
As President, Mr.. Lincoln inaugurated or APP
proved a number of measures prohibiting ~
character, and the friendship that he manifeited
caused the English temperance historian, DR..
Dawson Burns, to remark that in bis assasnation
s'the friends of temperance had special reason
for regret as his crime deprived them of the
moral support of one who had for many years
beena personal example of the practice they de-
sired should become universal. In his official
capacity he had also given a sanction to all
measures which could advance the movement in
the army and the nation at large"
PRESS SUPERINTENDENT.
TOwsON W. G. 7. u.