The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-10-31
WHAT LINCOLN
REALLY SAID
Martyred President Often De-
clared Against The
Saloons
TRAFFIC CANCER ON SOCIETY,"
Liquor Men Quote Utterances Of Lin.
coin Which He Never Said and
Which are Forgeries--Alonzo VIII
son Disproves Claims.

winch are Forgeries--Alonzo VIII
son Disproves Claims.
There Is being used In the West Vir.
ginia campaign, by the press agents
of the United States Brewers Assoc
citation, utterances of the late 7Presi-
dent Lincoln against Prohibition
which have been proven again and
again to be forgery, utterances that
Mr.. Lincoln never made.
AlonZo L. Wilson, treasurer OF the
Methodist Temperance Committee Of
the General Conference of the Metho-
dist Church has made study OF Lin
coin for years with the view of writ
Ing volume on the temperance side
of Lincoln's career, Mr. Wilson de-
elares that Lincoln was at heart Pro-
hibitionist and often committed him
self 10 that policy.
He has compiled q number OF e.
tracts from Lineoln's sayings and
speeches on the liquor traffic, 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
anGas are given below:
We have cleared up u colossal Job.
Slavery is abolished After recon
stFllction the next great question will
be the overthrow and suppression OF
the legalized liquor traffic and you
know nay head and my heart, my hand
and my purse will go into the contest
Tor victory"
II the relative grandeur Of revolur
tons shall be estimated by the great
amount of human misery, they allie
viare, and the small amount they In
flict, then indeed viii this (tem por-
ance1 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
svil.n
The people, the legislature. and the
governor have united to raise rov-
enue 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 as never to
have felt the change, and will stand
ready to join all others in the univer-
sal song Of gladness." ..
Let us make it 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 made
temperance speeches, and to this day
have never, by example. belfed 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
one drunkard on the face OF Gods
green earth. Recruit for this victory =
here must be no more attempts
to regulate the cancer Qiquor trafhc);
IL 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 IL there is any evil In the land
that threatens society or individuals
more than another, it Is liquor trafic. /"
Young man. Put nothing in your
mouth to steal away yourrbrains."
Under the license system the sa-
looms multiply drunkards"
1.-THE traffic is a cancer in society.
eating out its yitals and threatening
destruction and all attempts to rsgu-
late il will not only prove abortive but
aggrayate the evil"
III 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 fnAi
Punishment from it 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 ~
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; an not bound to
succeed, but ! am bound to live up to
what light / have"
"Legalizing the manufacture, sale
and use of intoxicating liquors a. q
beverage is wrong-a moral, social
and political wrong, and this Is the
reason why am a Prohibitionist.r
Let us have faith that right makes
might, and in the end let US dare to
do our duty as we understand It."
1.-THE most effectual remedy would
be the passage of a law altogether
abolishing the liquor traffic"
I'VE are here to stand firmly for q
principle. Temporizing will not do
longer. Now is the time for decision
for firm, persistent, resolute action
II must stand with anybodv that