Evening star., 1922-07-12
DENIES LINCOLN
| 0PPOSED|.D'||R|Y'I LAW /
Rev. D. c. Miner Disputes
Statement Made by Anti
Prohibitionists.
By the Associated Press.

/ 3
CHICAGO. July 12.-Denial that
Abraham Lincoln had once declared
himself as opposed to prohibition
was made today by Rev. Duncan G.
Afilner, associate minister of the
Presbyterian Church, q civil war vet
! eran and chaplain of the Loyal
Legion.
In p statement intended to refute.
the claim Of certain wet organi1a-
tiDns," that the Immortal Lincoln.
had ever lent even a hint OF ap-
proval to the liquor trafhc, Rev:
signed by three nationally known
J men setting forth that an alleged
| quotation from Lincoln, which was
| used in a local option campaign IN
Georgia In 1887, was an admitted fraud.
The affidavit, signed by Rev. sam
! and Henry W. Grady. declares that
"some time after the campaign Col
John B. Goodwin, who had been the
director of the anti-prohibition
forces, told that he himself had comp
posed the alleged words OF Lincoln
so as to attract the adhesion OF the
colored voters
Wins Over Colored Voters.
The alleged statement>of Lincoln's
| views were set forth in q circular
| widely broadcasted in the campaign
and did much to defeat the local
| option measure by winning over the
| entire eolored vote to the side OF the
| ''wets," Rev. Miner explained;
| The words credited to Lincoln, but
! since admitted to be those of an
| other, were: prohibition will work
| great injury to the cause of tenn
perance 1t is a species OF intem.
| perance itself, for it goes beyond
the bounds of reason, In that It al
tempts to control mans appetite by
! legislation and in making crime out
| Of things that are not crimes
"A prohibitory law strikes d oioW
at the very principles on which our
| government was founded. l have al
! ways been found laboring to protect
| the weaker classes from the stronger,
! and I can never give my consent to
! such a law as you propose to enact.
Until my tongue be silenced IN death,
will continue to fight for the
rights of man."
| ham Lincoln's proclamation" and
was followed with this appeal:
"Colored voter: He appeals to you
| to protect the liberty he has bestowed
] upon you. win you go back on his
advice? Look to your rights! Read!
| Act! Vote for the sale"
Circulated to Sway Sentiment.
| rev. AdllncT QcCldTSQ IHdI tuc
! alleged statement of Lincoln Is being
f, circulated today by organizations
| opposed to the eighteenth amend
! ment, and appealed for a Campaign
| to forever clear the name of the
great emancipator of so foul
| stigma
| The affidavit made public by Mr..
Miner says, in part:
THAT the Rev. Sam Jones. Henry
w. Grady. this aff1ant, and many
other speakers then openly denounced
! the purported words Of Abraham
Lincoln to be fragrant forgery.
defied discovery Of them in ANY
recorded utterances by Lincoln, and
offered a reward for proof Of their
fgenuineness, but no one produced any
such proof. --...
THAT some time after the excite
| ment of the campaign had disappear
| ed, this afi1ant, in conversation with
Col. John B. Goodwin. who had been
the director Of the anti-prohibition
forces in said campaign, was told by
I Col. Goodwin that he himself devised
| the circular in question, composed the
| alleged words of Lincoln so as to
| attract the adhesion Of the colored
voters and had donei so because to
win them was the forlorn hope Of
the VETS the country at that time
| being under prohibition law"