New-York tribune., 1922-04-23
Lincoln S Own Denial
He Never Kept a Liquor Grocery
Anywhere in the WorId''

oA oIiey u AuIaHhIn 1IlHC0ln. NoC
My that, but when he cites tho opin-
ons Of various writer's about Lincoln's
quor bookkeeping at New Salem he
uestions Lincoln's vcracity about a
lattcr in which Lincoln is, Of course,
1e only final authority. II Mr.. Maxim
i'll persist in remaining In mental OBJ
lscution, despite tho well-meant ef-
orts Of people to extricate him, the
lame Is not with those who extend q
clping hand.
1t WAS Lincoln himself who said IN
he presence Of Thousand, at the frst
oint debate with Douglas at Ottawa,
H., on August 21, 1858, that no never
opt liquor grocery anywhere In the
'orld. Douglas banteringly said:
IL was a school teacher in the town
Of Winchester, and he, Lincoln,
four!shing grocery kseper IN the
town Of Salem. He was mo ORG SUCCESS
full in his occupation that I was in
mine, and hence moro fortunate in
this worlds goods. Lincoln IL one Of
those peculiar mon who perform with
admirable skill everything which
they undertake. I mads as good
school teacher as I could, and when
e. cabinctmaker I made a good bed
stead and tables, although my old
boss said I succeeded better with
bureaus and secretaries than with
anything else, but I believe that
Lincoln was always mora successful
in business than J, for his business
enabled him to get into the Legis-
lature. met him there, however,
and had q sympathy with him, be-
Cause Of the uphill struggle va both
had In life. He was then Just as
good at telling an anecdote as now.
Ha could beat any Of the boys
wrestling, or running q foot race,
In pitching quoits or tossing a cop
per3 could ruin more liquor than all
the boys together, and the dignity
and impartiality with which ne pre-
sided at horse race or hst fight
excited the admiration and won the
praise Of everybody that Was present
and participated"
Apparently Douglas desired that
lincoln should waste his allotted time
n answering these loose reflections.
lincoln noted only the reference to
is being a liquor grocery keeper. OF
mis- he said, and will Mr.. Maxim please
i've strict attention.:
"The judge is woefully aa fault
about his early friend, Lincoln, be-
ing a grocery keeper don't know
a. it would be a great ain II I had
been; but he is mistaken. Lincoln
never kept grocery anywhere IN the
world It is true that Lincoln did
work the latter part Of one winter in
little still house up at the head Of
q hollow"
Tho foregoing is not hearsay or de-
uction, but Lincoln's own refutation
{ Douglass bantertng, taken from the
flcial "Political Debates Between Hon.
braham Lincoln and Hon. Stephen A.
douglas" columbus: Follett, Foster
, Co., 1869
Lincoln and Douglas revised the
roofs Of their respective speeches for
his official volume. Tho lste Con-
ressman Robert Hit. Of Illinois, was
he Lincoln official stenographer who
ook down Lincoln's Ottawa address.
Mr.. Maxim quotes Norman Hapgood,
lIss Tarbell, Mayor Frank x. 6chwab
Z Buffalo. and Henry G. Whitney in
upport Of his own contentious. All
nd severally are respectfully referred
0 Lincoln's own specific utterance.
Berry took out liquor selling
cense in the name Of Berry &
lincoln and against Lincoln's protest.
Jerry g. Lincoln agreed to dissolve
he partnership. Lincoln went to the
'lack Hawk War. Berry drank up and
old tho liquor and merchandise while
lincoln was away with his company,
nd Berry quit New Salem, leaving
/ 100 in firm debts for Lincoln to pay.
lincoln paid them. Afterward he said
he debt was the greatest obstacle he
yer met in his life. He half patheti
ally referred to it as "the national
ebt."
All of the sold straw" about Lincoln
'eing a rumseller, and much more, Is
arried in a pamphlet compiled by
Robert J. Halle and published by the
literary bureau Of the National Liquor
league Of America.
Lincoln was the paid counsel Of tho
illinois State Maine Law Alliance In
he winter of 1s54-'55, wrote drastic
tate prohibition law and steered 1t
through the Legislature. 1t carried
referendum clause. The bill was
igned on Lincoln's birthday, 1855. It
vas beaten by $1,000 votes on its sub
mission to the people in the following
'une. There were riots and bloodshed
n Chicago during this prohibition cam
,aign and martial law was declared.
lincoln spoke for this prohibition bill
It Paris, H., walking six miles to a
and back in hot sun in
order to keep promise to one Colonel
Baldwin. While Lincoln was not a
,hird party prohibitionst, as the term
8 used to-day, he was tho unrelcnting
Zoe Of the legalized liquor traffic. He
xa.+ I,,,o- D Morr,;,, b,,,,, H.