The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-02

racy let the power that makes the
law enforce the law or let the power
that enforces the law he free TO make
the law"
Lincoln Not Prohibitionist.
Much has been said in respect to
the position that the lamented mar
tyred President Lincoln took in re-
spect TO the question OF prohibition
We see excerpts from a speech de-
lvered by him known as the wash
ington birthday speech, but the diff,
iiculty is that the prohibitionists and
the anti -saloouists do not quote the
whole speech. The part which they
do not quote negatives The part
which they do quote as far as their
claim that by il he declared in favor
OF prohibition is concerned.
/ am here TO make the broad state
ment. not only in the light OF my own
personal investigation and eNamlna-
ton, but in the light OF investiga-
tion of other eminent magazine
writer's Of this country. that there
is no history OF Lincoln's life, there
are no public documents or private
documents eXtant today upon which
any man may place his hand In which
of prohibition. ! wish 10 read 10
YOU from an editorial published In
Golfers Magazine Ii is brief and
II may be significant. and IL may
have weight with the thinking men
and women who have been misled
through the idea that Lincoln was In
favor of prohibition;
'Austcrc invcctive is hurled al us
by the national prohibitionlsts be-
cause We accuse the prohibition party
OF pure forgery IN circulating what
purports 10 be a verbatim account OF
Abra ham Lincoln's stand in favor Of
prohibition. Their only defense is
that one old man alleges Lincoln
made this statement to him Just be-
fore lie died A nimsy enough foun-
dation. even If we had no real knowl-
edge upon the subject. From boy
hood to age Lincoln was interested in
temperance and yet he is nowhere
on record. either In his own writing
or I'm any authentic history, as speak
ing one word favorable 10 prohibition.
Look. moreover, at what actual evil
dencc we have There is his famous
speech In Illinois explaining how
much better than violence are edu
cation and persuasion. There is the
liquor license which his own store
took out. There is the ill-concealed
impatlencc of his reply TO the clergy
man who bothered him about the
drinking habit OF General Grant.
Lincoln Voted WET"
There is also something much
more conclusive. Have our sweet
friends OF the national prohibition
lists who call us such ugly names ever
gone Ia examine the records Of Inc
legislature Of Illinois, on Deem
ber 10. 1Si0. II was moved to enact
by amendment that no person shall
be licensed 10 sell vinous or spirit
Gus liquors in this state Abraham
Lincoln moved to Law this amend
ment on the table.
"a week later attempt was made To
pass provision that liquor licenses
could he refused il majority Of the
voters in A town, district or ward
protested. Abraham Lincoln voted
against this restriction On January
Is he voted again IN the same effect
We shall await calmly the national
prohibtonists' reply.
Abraham Lincoln believed drink
probably 10 be the greatest civic
curse upon the earth. How II should
be decreased was q. question Of rsa-
son. II he lived today our guess is he
would like. most wise men. approve
OF prohibitions in certain neighbor-
hoods. condemn'ng II in others"
Democratic Doctrine.
] am a Democrat and have been
all the days Of my lifetime. I under
stand that the. Democratic party of
the state OF Utah declared In favor
of prohibition, If the Democratic
party Of the state OF Utah declared
in favor or prohibition, then am
here to make the open assertion that
they did il in defiance Of the ex
pressed creed OF our party as re-
corded in It's national convention
platform in 1876; that platform upon
which We haze always claimed Sam
uel Tilden was elected TO be presi
dent Of the United States. There
ing in respect 10 sumptuary legisla-
ton We declared in favor Of the
liberty ~ individual conduct unvexed
by sumptuary laws. In 1850 in para
graph OF the platform we declared
against sumptuary laws In 1854 the
we oppose sumptuary laws which
vex the citizens and Interfere with
Individual liberty
Mind you. my brother Democrats.
II was upon that platform that a
Democratic president OF the United
States was elected. Grover Cleveland
In 1888 the platform contained this
declaration: THE Democratic party
fided TO II the struggle TO reform
these laws with the pledges OF lis
last platform" and that platform, as
have shown you, contained q dec
laration in opposition 10 sumptuary
legislation. In 1892. when we again
again elected president. the plat
form contained this declaration: I'VE
are opposed 10 all sumptuary laws as
an interference with the individual
rights of the citizen" In 1896 and
1900 there was no reference to the
subject In the platform. but In 1906
We declared In favor OF liberty oi
personal conduct. In 1904 we dc.
cared In favor Of liberty Of persona
conduct. untrammeled by sumptuars
laws, etc.
] cite the utterences OF hese presi.
dents. the utterances of the Demo
cratic party, to show that the uues,
l..,. ~ ..l.lR ~ 4.
a partisan or political issue. e,
further and make the statement thal