Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1912-10-22
WHAT LINCOLN
REALLY SAID
Martyred President Often Do
cIared Against Tho
Saloons
TRAFFIC CANCER ON SOCIETY

Liquor Men Quote utterances Of Lin
coin Which He Never Said and
Which are ForosrIss-AIonxo VIII
cor DIsproves ciaims.
There IL being used in the West Wiz.
ginia campaign, by the press agents
Of the United States Brewers Assoc
citation. utterances of the late Prssi-
dent Lincoln against Prohibition
which have been proven again and
again to be forgery. utteranoss that
Mr.. Lincoln never made.
Alonxo 4. Wilson. treasurer Of the
Methodist Temperance Committee OF
the General Conference Of the Metho-
dist Church has made q study of Lin
coin for years with the view of writ,
ing a volume on the temperance side
Of Lincolns career. Mr.. Wilson de-
clares that Lincoln was at heart Pro
hibitionist and often committed him.
self to that policy.
He has compiled . number Of o..
tracts from Lincoln's sayings and
speeches on the liquor traf1c, every
one OF which can be authenticated by
written records or by the memory Of
living persons who were Lincoln's In
innate friends Some of these utter.
anees are given below:
I'VE have cleared up q colossal job.
Slavery Is abolished. After recon
struction the next great question will
be the overthrow and suppression OF
the legalized liquor traffic and you
know my head and my heart. my hand
and my purse will go into the contest
for victory"
III the relative grandeur of revolu.
tons shall be estimated by the great
amount Of human misery they allie
viate. and the small amount they In
fict, then indeed will this (temper-
ance) be the grandest the world shall
have ever SEEN"
Let every friend Of temperance
frown upon all efforts to regulating
the cancer. Any license law, however
stringent must eventually increase the
evil"
The people, the legislature, and the
governor have united to raise a rev.
snue at the expense of those who have
neither the moral courage nor the
grace to resist the Influence of the
bottle"
Even the dram maker and the
dram seller will have glided into other
occupations so gradually a. never to
have felt the change. and will stand
ready to Join all others In the univsr.
sal song Of gladness."
Let US make 1t as unfashionable to
Withhold our names from the temper.
ance cause as for husbands to wear
their wives bonnets to church, and
the instances will be just as rare In
the one case as the other"
When | was young man l made
temperance speeches. and to this day
/ have never, by example. belied what
] then said"
The one victory We can ever call
complete will be that one which pro.
claims that there is not one slave or
enc drunkard on the face Of Gods
green earth. Recruit for this victory"
There must be no more attempts
to regulate the cancer Ciquor tratfic);
1t must be eradicated; for until this
be done, all classes must continue ex.
posed, to become the victims of strong
drink"
Law must protect and conserve
right things. and punish wrong things,
and If there is any evil in the land
that threatens society or individuals
more than another. 1t is liquor traffic"
Young man! Put nothing In your
mouth to steal away your brains"
Under the license system the So
looms multiply drunkards"
THE traffic is q cancer in society,
eating out its vitals and threatening
destruction and all attempts to regu-
late 1t will not only prove abortive but
aggravate the evil"
If the prohibition of slavery is good
for the black man the prohibition of
the liquor traffic is equally good and
constitutional for the white man."
Whether or not the world would
be vastly benefited by a total and Anal
Punishment from 1t of all intoxicating
drinks seems to me not now an open
question"
THE possibility that we may fail In
the struggle ought not to deter us
from the support of cause we believe
to be just; it shall not deter me-"
Il am not bound to win, but / am
bound to be true; am not bound to
succeed. but am bound to live up to
what light have"
"Legalizfng the manufacture, sale
and use of intoxicating liquors as a
beverage Is wrong-a moral, social
and political wrong. and this is the
reason why am Prohibitionist."
Let us have faith that right makes
might, and in the end let us dare to
do our duty as We understand it."
THE most effectual remedy would
be the passage of law altogether
abolishing the liquor traffic"
I'VE are here to stand firmly for a
principle. Temporizing will not do
longer. Now is the time for decision
for firm, persistent, resolute action"
Il must stand with anybody that
stands right, stand with him while