For the People
A New sletter o f the Ab raham Linco ln Asso ciatio n
V o l u m e 7, N u m b e r 3 A u t u m n 2005 S p r i n g f i e l d, I l l i n o i s
A New Look at “Y ou Can Fool All of the People”
I
By David B. Parker * Newspapers,” which contains the back the time. You can fool some of the peo-
n the winter 2003 issue of this files of the New York Times, Washington ple all of the time; but you can’t fool all
newsletter, Thomas F. Schwartz, in Post, Boston Globe, and a handful of of the people all of the time.’” The
one of his “Lincoln Never Said other newspaper in a digitized, search- Times noted that the remark was met
That” columns, wrote on one of the able format. with “Applause.”
4
best known of the alleged Lincoln quo- Seven months later, the Times’s
tations: “You can fool all the people “Hodge-Podge” column (a collection
some of the time and some of the peo- of snippets gathered from other news-
ple all the time, but you cannot fool all papers and periodicals) quoted the Dry
the people all the time.”1 Goods Chronicle: “Mr. Lincoln said:
Schwartz’s article traced the claim ‘You can fool some of the people all the
that Lincoln made the “fool all the peo- time, and you can fool all the people
ple” statement at a speech on Septem- some of the time, but you cannot fool
ber 2, 1858, in Clinton, Illinois, during all the people all the time,’ It would be
the Lincoln-Douglas Debates. Con- well for our politicians to ponder over
temporary accounts do not record the this saying, and also merchants who do
words, but nearly a half-century later, not advertise their goods. The latter are
several people said that they heard Lin- fooled all the time.”5
coln make the remark on that occasion. After these first two mentions in
A second claim, from a single source, 1887 and 1888, the Times quoted Lin-
was that Lincoln made the statement at coln’s “you can fool all the people” on
the 1856 Republican Party Convention at least twenty other occasions before it
in Bloomington, Illinois. Schwartz appeared in McClure’s Lincoln’s Yarns
characterized the claims as “tenuous.”2 and Stories.
Those claims aside, the fact is that, Other newspapers in the ProQuest
until now, we had no documentary evi- collection also give the quotation
dence linking Lincoln to the quotation before 1901, but none as frequently or
until 1901, when it was included in as early as the New York Times. The
Abe Lincoln’s Yarns and Stories, a vol- Atlanta Constitution’s first mention of
ume of over five hundred pages com- the quotation is of special interest to
piled by Alexander McClure, that the present author, who wrote his doc-
claimed to be “a complete collection of Searching the New York Times we toral dissertation on Charles Henry
the funny and witty anecdotes that find that on August 26, 1887—four- Smith, a Georgia essayist and humorist
made Lincoln famous.” The only attri- teen years before McClure’s collec- who for twenty-five years (1878–
bution for the quotation was to an tion—a man named Fred Wheeler, 1903) contributed a weekly column to
unnamed “caller at the White House.”3 speaking at the Prohibition Party Con- the Constitution under the pen name of
Through the use of several new data- vention, discussed certain legislation “Bill Arp.” On August 6, 1899, Arp
bases, we can now push the connection passed by the state assembly: “As I sat began his column: “Mr. Lincoln said,
of Lincoln and “fool all the people” in the gallery noting the care and eager- ‘You may fool some of the people all
back almost a decade and a half. ness and anxiety of the leaders to secure the time, you may fool all of the people
For our purposes the most useful its passage I could not help but think of some of the time, but you can’t fool all
of these databases is a collection from that trite remark of Abraham Lincoln: of the people all the time.’ That’s so, I
ProQuest Company called “Historic ‘You can fool all of the people, some of continued on page 2
2 For th e People
A New Look at “You Can Fool All of the Peop le”
continued from page 1 Chicago dentist quoted Lincoln to attributed to Lincoln, first showed up in
reckon, but I will add that a man can’t warn of “bunko dental colleges” that a book, magazine article, or some other
fool his wife at all. She catches up with misrepresented their costs. In fact, source not covered by these databases in
10
him by instinct.”6 prior to 1901 Lincoln had become the early- to mid-1887.
Another ProQuest collection, unwitting spokesman for some two But I will leave the hunt for that
“American Periodical Series Online” dozen retailers and products, including elusive creature to others.
(APS), offers the contents of well over Boston’s J. B. Barnaby (clothiers) and
a thousand magazines and other peri- Paine Furniture Company; Hire’s root Schwartz, “‘You Can Fool All of
1
odicals published in the United States beer; the Vinolia line of soaps, creams, the People’: Lincoln Never Said That,”
between 1740 and 1900, again digi- and powders; Gail Borden Eagle Brand For the People: A Newsletter of the Abra-
tized and searchable. A search of APS Condensed Milk; Pillsbury’s Flour; and ham Lincoln Association 5 (Winter
reveals only scattered references to the my personal favorite, Old Crow Rye.11 2003): 1ff.
alleged Lincoln quotation, none before Thanks to these new online data- Ibid., 6.
2
1887. bases—a technology not available to Albert A. Woldman, “Lincoln
3
One of the citations in APS is researchers until very recently—we can Never Said That,” Harper’s Magazine
worth mentioning, however. In 1894 a now search millions of pages of books, 200 (May 1950): 74.
relatively obscure anarchist journal, newspapers, and periodicals within sec- New York Times, Aug. 26, 1887.
4
Liberty: Not the Daughter but the Moth- onds, turning a task that before would New York Times, Mar. 12, 1888.
5
er of Order, reprinted an article from have been a lifetime’s work (several Atlanta Constitution, Aug. 6,
6
the New York Sun that described the lifetimes’ work, in fact) into a project 1899. The dissertation, which made no
office of congressional candidate that can be completed before a morn- mention of the Lincoln quotation, was
Lemuel Quigg: “There are two pic- ing coffee break. published as Alias Bill Arp: Charles
tures on the wall in Mr. Quigg’s head- And thanks to these databases, we Henry Smith and the South’s “Goodly
quarters. One is of Quigg and the now know that the “you can fool all of Heritage” (Athens: University of Geor-
other is of Lincoln. Under Mr. Lin- the people” quotation was in common gia Press, 1991).
coln’s picture is the quotation: ‘You circulation and attributed to Lincoln at Liberty: Not the Daughter but the
7
can fool all the people some of the least fourteen years before McClure’s Mother of Order 10 (Nov. 3, 1894):
time, and some of the people all the collection. 13.
time; but you can’t fool all of the peo- But these databases can’t answer all William Lloyd Garrison, 1805–
8
ple all the time.’”7 This suggests that of our questions, and in fact, they 1879: The Story of His Life, Told by His
by 1894 the quotation was sufficiently sometimes raise new ones. For exam- Children (New York: Century Co.,
popular and well known to appear on ple, while the coverage of the databas- 1889), 4:224. Unlike ProQuest, a
printed portraits of Lincoln. es is just as good before 1887 as after, series of proprietary databases, Making
Making of America, a digital there are no mentions of the quotation of America is free and is available at
library of nineteenth-century American attributed to Lincoln before August http://www.hti.umich.edu/m/moagrp/.
literature containing approximately 1887. Furthermore, in the millions of Chicago Daily Tribune, June 15,
9
eighty-five hundred books and fifty pages covered by these databases, the 1890.
thousand journal articles, digitized and quotation does not appear by itself, Ibid., Mar. 15, 1891.
10
searchable, offers one additional early unattributed to Lincoln, before that Boston Daily Globe, Oct. 25, 1891,
11
example of the Lincoln quotation, in a date. Only in 1890 does the quotation Jan. 18, 1897, May 27, 1893; Ameri-
biography of abolitionist William start to show up without Lincoln’s can Journal of the Medical Sciences 6
Lloyd Garrison published in 1889, a name, introduced by “Some one has (Dec. 1893): 6; Arthur’s Home Maga-
dozen years before McClure’s collec- truthfully said” or “There is a saying.”12 zine 64 (Oct. 1894): 10; Boston Daily
tion.8 In other words, before August Globe, June 16, 1895; New York Times,
By 1890 the quotation was well 1887 the saying never shows up, either July 7, 1895.
known enough to be used in advertise- alone or attributed to Lincoln; after New York Times, Feb. 5, 1890,
12
ments. In June of that year an ad for W . August 1887 it appears frequently, Dec. 31, 1891.
.
W Kimball Company used the saying dozens of times in the next ten years.
to urge customers to be careful when The reason for this is unknown, but * David B. Parker is a professor of
buying a piano or organ.9 In 1891 a a good guess would be that the saying, history at Kennesaw State University.
For th e People 3
Lincoln Neve r Said That
THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN
ASSOCIATION
T
ROGER D. BRIDGES
President
MOLLY M. BECKER By Thomas F. Schwartz Burnside, ordered any person expressing
RICHARD E. HART he Internet is a great incubator of sympathy for the Confederacy to be
RICHARD MILLS
Vice-Presidents spurious Lincoln sayings and no arrested as a traitor or banished to the
THOMAS F. SCHWARTZ clearer examples can be shown Confederate States of America. Val-
Secretary than several that have recently surfaced. landigham tested the limits of the order
ROBERT A. STUART JR. A number of Web sites attribute the fol- by speaking out against the war on May
Treasurer lowing quote to Abraham Lincoln: 1, 1863. True to his word, Burnside
ROBERT S. ECKLEY “Congressmen who willfully take arrested Vallandigham, immediately
Immediate Past-President actions during wartime that damage provoking a series of public protests by
Board of Directors morale and undermine the military are Northern Democrats in support of Val-
Kenneth L. Anderson saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled lan-digham. Lincoln, with the advice of
.
Dan W Bannister
Judith Barringer or hanged.” his Cabinet, released Vallandigham from
Michael Burlingame But did Lincoln utter these words? prison but exiled him to the Confedera-
Brooks Davis An immediate red flag for the authen- cy. In explaining this tack to Corning
Rodney O. Davis ticity of any Lincoln quote would be and Vallandigham’s other Democratic
Allen C. Guelzo
Kathryn M. Harris information indicating when and sympathizers, Lincoln stated: “Must I
.
Earl W Henderson Jr. where he uttered the words being shoot a simple-minded soldier boy who
Fred B. Hoffmann used. Typically, the absence of a date deserts, while I must not touch a hair of
Barbara Hughett
David Jones and/or place is a good indication that a wiley agitator who induces him to
Robert J. Lenz something is askew. desert? . . . I think that in such a case, to
Lee McTurnan The words are not found in The silence the agitator, and save the boy, is
Myron Marty
Susan Mogerman Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln or not only constitutional, but, withal, a
Georgia Northrup The Recollected Words of Abraham Lin- great mercy.” This is a far cry from
Phillip S. Paludan coln. The Web sites using the questioned “hanging” congressmen advocated in
.
James W Patton III
Mark Plummer quote usually are strong supporters of the questioned Internet utterance.
James A. Rawley the current military efforts in Iraq. Lin- With record-low mortgage rates
Marvin Sanderman coln’s own opposition to President these past many years, homebuilders
William Shepherd
Brooks D. Simpson James K. Polk’s Mexican War policies and real estate Web sites have proudly
Richard Norton Smith makes the statement hypocritical in this quoted Lincoln: “The strength of a
Nicky Stratton context. While Lincoln spoke against nation lies in the homes of its people.”
Louise Taper
Donald R. Tracy people who interfered with the enlist- Once again, there are no dates attached
Andy VanMeter ment of soldiers, there is a marked dif- to the saying and the words cannot be
Margaret VanMeter ference between the alleged quote about found in Lincoln writings or the major
Daniel R. Weinberg
Vibert White congressmen and Lincoln’s documented recollections. Some Web pages offer,
Robert Willard sentiments about speech that led to “spoken by Abraham Lincoln more than
Kenneth J. Winkle desertion. Most likely, the alleged quote 140 years ago,” which is so nonspecific
Honorary Directors is based upon Lincoln’s famous June 12, as to be meaningless. The closest senti-
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich 1863, letter to Erastus Corning and ment is something not said by Abraham
Senator Richard Durbin
Senator Barack Obama other Democrats who objected to the Lincoln but by another Republican
Congressman Ray LaHood banishment of Ohio politician Clement President, Herbert Hoover. In a speech
Congressman John Shimkus Vallandigham to the Confederacy. at Palo Alto, California, on August 11,
Mayor Timothy J. Davlin
The Honorable Rita Garman Vallandigham was a bitter oppo- 1928, Hoover said: “To me the founda-
Emeritus Directors nent of the war, and according to Mark tion of American life rests upon the
John R. Chapin E. Neely, “in a meeting of the Demo- home and family.” A different emphasis
Cullom Davis cratic congressional caucus in July is attributed to Andrew Johnson by
John J. Trutter [1861], Vallandigham was the only con- George L. Tappan, who, in 1872,
Harlington Wood Jr.
gressman to oppose coercion of the recalled President Johnson saying:
Distinguished Directors
Mario M. Cuomo South.” His views did not comport with “Without a home there can be no good
David Herbert Donald those of the voters, who tossed Val- citizen. With a home there can be no
John Hope Franklin landigham out in the 1862 elections. bad one.” Perhaps all would be better
.
Harry V Jaffa Trouble occurred on April 19, 1863, off by taking the broader view espoused
.
Robert W Johannsen
Garry Wills when the commander of the Depart- by Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz:
ment of the Ohio, General Ambrose E. “There’s no place like home.”
4 For th e People
Defi ni ng th e Stu dy o f Lin col n
T he Contr ibu tions of the Ab raham Lincoln As soc iation
F
By Thomas F. Schwartz the largest and most memorable birth- of the event and the banquets that fol-
or nearly a century, the Abraham day celebration to honor the one-hun- lowed were intended to entertain
Lincoln Association has worked dredth anniversary of Illinois’ favorite guests. Speakers were selected with an
to realize, as fully as possible, its son, and Springfield’s most notable cit- eye toward publishing their remarks in
charter mission: “To observe each izen, Abraham Lincoln. It was a task a keepsake booklet that was a fixture at
anniversary of the birth of Abraham they took to heart. The largest hall in each banquet place setting. These pub-
Lincoln; to preserve and make more Springfield, the Illinois State Armory, lished remarks were also distributed to
readily accessible the landmarks associ- was reserved and notably decorated in various libraries and associations
ated with his life; and to actively the appropriate patriotic bunting. Sen- believing that “many of them contain
encourage, promote and aid the collec- ator Cullom drew upon his position as contributions of permanence and value
tion and dissemination of authentic Chairman of the Senate Foreign Rela- in the way of sound thinking and clear
information regarding all phases of his tions committee to secure the services utterance.”
life and career.” These are ambitious of James Bryce, the British Ambassa- A systemic problem was inherent
goals for any group. They are even dor to the United States, as the in the organization of the Lincoln Cen-
more challenging for an organization keynote speaker with J. J. Jusserand, tennial Association that soon became
that has been staffed largely by volun- the French Ambassador to the United apparent and threatened the existence
teers, that has never exceeded nine hun- States, as an invited guest. Robert of the group. Most of the founders and
dred members, that has never had Todd Lincoln, the only surviving son officers were elderly gentlemen. With-
financial reserves in excess of of the Sixteenth President was also out active recruitment and its original
$100,000, and whose base of opera- invited. He agreed to come only if he goal of celebrating the centennial birth
tions consists of a mailbox located at did not have to speak. And finally, behind it, the Association remained
the Abraham Lincoln Presidential William Jennings Bryan, the former active only as long as the founding
Library. And yet, the Abraham Lincoln presidential candidate and silver- fathers lived. President J. Otis
Association is considered the leading tongued orator best known for his Humphrey died in 1918. Vice Presi-
organization advancing Lincoln stud- “Cross of Gold” speech was also dent John J. Bunn succeeded
ies. What explains this dichotomy? among the dignitaries at the head Humphrey, but Bunn was no young
A terrible irony exists that in the table. man. Born in 1831, Bunn as a young
year when the Lincoln Centennial Over twelve hundred persons man had known Lincoln. In fact, Lin-
Association met to begin planning the attended the patriarchic gala. Men coln appointed him as a United States
one-hundredth anniversary of the wore formal attire and were seated on Pension Agent for Illinois. Bunn died
Great Emancipator’s birth, Springfield the main floor of the auditorium. in 1920 creating a crisis in leadership
witnessed a bloody race riot, leaving Women were consigned to the balcony. for the Association. No banquet was
seven dead. Among the victims was After a sumptuous meal and formal held in 1920 or 1922. Logan Hay, a
William Donegan, a retired cobbler remarks, individuals on the main floor notable Springfield attorney whose
who made boots for Abraham Lincoln indulged in cigars, cigarettes and father, Milton Hay, and grandfather,
before he was elected president. The brandy. Perhaps the most bizarre event Stephen Trigg Logan, firmly connected
men who organized what is now the of the evening was Vachel Lindsay’s him to the Lincoln legacy, became pres-
Abraham Lincoln Association ignored reading of the performance poem “The ident of the Association following
this fact. The founders of the Associa- Congo.” The audience was held Bunn’s death. As one writer claimed,
tion reads like a “Who’s Who”: Chief speechless by such lines as: “Fat black Hay’s first two years of service “was the
Justice of the United States Supreme bucks in a wine-barrel room, Barrel- empty honor of heading an organiza-
Court Melville W. Fuller, United States house kings, with feet unstable, Sagged tion that seemed to want only a quiet
Federal Judge J. Otis Humphrey, and reeled and pounded on the table, burial.”
Speaker of the House Joseph G. Can- Pounded on the table, Beat an empty Hay decided that the Association
non, Illinois Governor Charles S. barrel with the handle of a broom, needed to make a decision on what it
Deneen, Former Vice-President Adlai Hard as they were able, Boom, boom, wanted: either the board would cease as
E. Stevenson, and Illinois Senator Boom, With a silk umbrella and the an organization or recommit them-
Shelby Cullom. Their task seemed handle of a broom, Boomlay, boomlay, selves to the mission statement from the
simple and straightforward: to hold boomlay, Boom.” Clearly, the structure original charter. In his 1923 banquet
For th e People 5
address, Former Governor Frank O. annual Bulletin and Papers, the new According to Wilma Minor, the owner
Lowden underscored the need for the research agenda required the establish- of the letters and author of the articles
Association to gather “authentic” infor- ment of full-time personnel to oversee in the Atlantic Monthly, the materials
mation on Lincoln and preserve the tra- research and writing implicit in their had been handed down through her
ditions and places in and around research agenda. Income from mem- family. Initially, the poet Carl Sandburg
Springfield. After several meetings, the bership was insufficient for sustaining and the muckraking journalist Ida Tar-
Association devised a listing of goals salaried staff. The solution required the bell were both attracted to the dramat-
that it hoped to accomplish. As the establishment of an endowment fund. ic power of the romance that was
Association’s main objective, it pledged In 1925 Hay persuaded a number of revealed in the correspondence. But
to make the annual observance of Lin- civic-minded Springfield families that Angle knew Lincoln’s handwriting,
coln’s birth a public meeting “at which went back to the Lincoln era—Bunn, having just finished transcribing letters
the speaker shall be selected with refer- Hatch, Pasfield, and Humphrey—to for the new edition of Lincoln’s letters.
ence to their especial fitness to make donate the initial funding for the Asso- Moreover, Angle also had an ear for
distinct contributions to the Lincoln ciation endowment. With this financial Lincoln’s literary voice and knew that
idea, and the publication of the address- wherewithal, Hay began interviewing the writings were a poor imitation. In
es in permanent form.” A series of potential executive secretaries. He gave the end the letters proved to be the
prizes ranging from the best mono- the job to Paul M. Angle, a young man result of spirit writings channeled
graph on Abraham Lincoln to funding from Mansfield, Ohio, who had a his- through the hand of a medium, who
scholarships at Illinois colleges and uni- tory degree from Miami University. happened to be Minor’s mother.
versities to high school essay contests Hiring Angle was based upon his Another little-known project of
on Lincoln were contemplated. Two potential rather than a record of the Association was research on the
similar goals were to assist in the pur- accomplishment. Angle later admitted proposed Lincoln Memorial Highway.
chase and donation of Lincoln materials that his only knowledge of Lincoln was The project sought to find the exact
for what is now called the Henry obtained by reading Lord Charn- route that Lincoln and his parents trav-
Horner Lincoln Collection at the Abra- wood’s Lincoln biography on the train eled from Kentucky to Indiana to Illi-
ham Lincoln Presidential Library (for- in route from Chicago to Springfield nois. Confusion abounded with hun-
merly the Illinois State Historical before his interview. dreds of notarized affidavits being sent
Library). The Association also wanted Angle, however, was a quick study. by individuals stating that the Lincolns
to build a collection of “reminiscences He began to collect photocopies of stopped at their farm, watered their
of all individuals who have personally original Lincoln documents with an oxen team from their well, and other
known Mr. Lincoln.” The final four eye toward those that escaped publica- variations on a theme. Typically, the
objectives dealt with aspects of promot- tion by previous Lincoln biographers statements were based upon second or
ing visitation and Lincoln programs at Nicolay, Hay, and Tarbell. Angle also third hand information transmitted by
Lincoln sites in the Springfield area. began to build reference files on every family members or friends. Governor
They wanted to publish a booklet con- important topic regarding Lincoln, his Emmerson referred the matter to a
taining information on Lincoln and family, and Lincoln’s Springfield. five-member panel—all consisting of
associated sites as well as promote a Between 1925 and 1930 Angle wrote Abraham Lincoln Association mem-
marker program to clearly identify an incredible corpus of reference mate- bers—for investigation. Angle side-
places of significance. The Association rials. Among these were two editions stepped the issue stating: “At the pres-
would underwrite a pageant at New of guidebooks to the Lincoln sites in ent time it appears likely that the inves-
Salem featuring the descendants of Lin- Springfield, seven pamphlets of Lin- tigating committee will be unable, by
coln’s friends in this frontier communi- coln’s day-by-day activities for the reason of the absence of conclusive evi-
ty. In a growing era of automobile trav- years 1854 through 1861, twenty-one dence, to establish the exact location of
el, the Association would work to pave regular bulletins, and a monograph, the route the Lincolns followed, but in
the road between Springfield and New New Letters and Papers of Lincoln any event a positive gain of some
Salem with the roadside shade trees (1930). Angle also clarified the new importance in historical knowledge
named after “Lincoln, his friends, and direction of the Association by chang- seems assured.”
contemporaries.” ing the name from the Lincoln Centen- The “historical knowledge” that
In 1923 Logan Hay reactivated nial Association, an event that had Angle sought was of a certain kind.
Association publications with the occurred in 1909 but of little relevance Like his mentor, Logan Hay, Angle
issuance of an annual Bulletin. This was in 1929, to the Abraham Lincoln Asso- probed for written primary source
followed in 1924 with the appearance ciation, a timeless moniker. materials in the form of letters, court
of The Lincoln Centennial Association The Association was the center of records, newspapers, pamphlets, the
Papers, containing the text of the speak- national attention in 1929 when Angle Illinois and Congressional Journal of
er presentations before the Association exposed as forgeries the Atlantic Debates, tax records, census data, and
in that year. While Hay could oversee Monthly’s published love letters election returns. Sources avoided or
the copyediting and production of the between Lincoln and Ann Rutledge. continued on page 6
6 For th e People
Def ining the St u d y o f L inc oln
Th e Co n t r i b u t i o n s o f t h e A b r a h a m L i n c o l n A s s o c i a t i o n
continued from page 5 because extensive correspondence from the project a PhD in English who had
viewed with suspicion were artifacts New Salem did not exist, Angle relied already published a volume on Lin-
and material culture, such as Lincoln’s heavily upon newspaper accounts to coln’s writings and speeches. Roy Pren-
personal effects and a careful examina- carry his narrative of Lincoln’s tiss Basler was well suited to undertake
tion of the surviving structures from Springfield. The four Lincoln day-by- the work. He had two capable assistants
the Lincoln era. Archeology conducted day volumes began with Lincoln’s in Marion Bonzi, who would later
by the State of Illinois at New Salem birth in 1809 and took him up to his marry the great Lincoln scholar Harry
was completely ignored by Benjamin P . presidential inauguration on March 4, Pratt, and Lloyd Dunlap. Also on loan
Thomas in his study of this frontier 1861. This base reference works served to the project was Helen Bullock, a
community. Recollections, especially as the basic factual building blocks for dynamo of a researcher on staff at the
those recorded decades after the fact, any Lincoln study. But they also pro- Library of Congress. Bullock scoured
were given a hoary eye unless they vided a quick short hand to foil forgers, the manuscript collections in the
could be independently verified with especially the sly Joseph Cosey who Library of Congress and National
contemporary written records. This was particularly adept at creating legal Archives for the Association.
approach to research methodology documents with a passable facsimile of Generally recognized as the great-
comported with James Garfield Ran- Lincoln’s hand. Cosey and other forg- est scholarly achievement of the Asso-
dall’s call for professionalism in Lin- ers failed to do their homework and ciation, the eight-volume Collected
coln studies. In his seminal 1936 arti- typically placed Lincoln in the wrong Works of Abraham Lincoln literally bank-
cle, “Has the Lincoln Theme Been court at the wrong time of year. A rupted the organization. Originally
Exhausted?” Randall noted the profes- quick check of these day-by-day works planned to be five or six volumes and
sional standards used by the Abraham made easy work of detecting a ques- plagued by constant delays, the publi-
Lincoln Association in its contribu- tioned document. cation ended up costing the Associa-
tions to Lincoln studies. With its reputation firmly estab- tion much more than anticipated.
Despite Angle’s departure in 1932 lished and an aggressive research and Rather than publish a volume at a time
to head the Illinois State Historical publications program in place, the as finances allowed, the Association
Library, he was replaced by a succes- Association suffered a blow with the made the bold move of liquidating all
sion of capable scholars, such as death of Logan Hay in 1940. George of their assets to publish all eight vol-
Thomas and Harry E. Pratt, both hav- W. Bunn, president of the Marine umes at once. The Association main-
ing PhDs in history. These scholars Bank, Lincoln’s bank in Springfield, tained its incorporation status and set
produced some significant monograph- ably succeeded Hay. It was Bunn who up an account to receive royalties from
ic works during the decade from 1930 inspired and often financed the Associ- Rutgers University Press. The volumes
to 1940 based upon the previous fact ation on to greatness. Known to his were met with critical acclaim but
collection efforts of the Association. friends as “Gib,” Bunn oversaw the cre- financial indifference. In part, universi-
Two particular themes emerged: envi- ation of the Abraham Lincoln Quarter- ty presses in general and Rutgers in
ronmental studies, or the studies of the ly, a scholarly publication that would particular were suffering from financial
communities in which Lincoln lived at replace the Bulletin and annual Papers.
New Salem and Springfield, and the But the Association’s greatest achieve-
Lincoln day-by-day studies. Thomas’s ment under Bunn would be collecting
Lincoln’s New Salem remains a classic and transcribing all of Abraham Lin- For the People (ISSN 1527–2710) is
study of the frontier community that coln’s known writings. published four times a year and is a
was the setting for Lincoln’s formative The Collected Works of Abraham Lin- benefit of membership of the
years. In spite of its age, first published coln would take twelve years to produce Abraham Lincoln Association
in 1934, no author has attempted to at a cost of over $100,000 or approxi- 1 Old State Capitol Plaza
eclipse it as the primary study of New mately $1,000,000 in 2005 dollars. It Springfield, Illinois
Salem. The same can be said for took meetings with the Library of Con- 62701
Angle’s monograph of Lincoln’s gress to convince that institution not to
Springfield, “Here I Have Lived”: A His- duplicate efforts with a planned Lincoln Editorial and design services by
tory of Lincoln’s Springfield, 1821–1865. papers project of their own. Once the William B. Tubbs
Whereas Thomas was forced to exam- Abraham Lincoln Association cleared (wbt60@ameritech.net)
ine county commissioner records, cen- the way for the project, they hired a
sus data, and probate court records new executive secretary who brought to
For th e People 7
woes. Creative bookkeeping similar to But the transfer of the property to the “The Hedgehog and the Foxes,” John
that practiced in Hollywood for resid- Federal government in 1971 ended any Y. Simon’s “Abraham Lincoln and Ann
uals on early television shows allowed further discussion. In 1970 publica- Rutledge,” Daniel Howe’s “Why Lin-
Rutgers to avoid paying any royalties tions were resumed, beginning mod- coln was a Whig,” and Allen Guelzo’s
to the Association. estly with the annual banquet address “Lincoln and the Doctrine of Necessi-
From 1953 to 1964 the Associa- and expanding in 1973 to include ty,” are frequently cited in the litera-
tion was in a state of suspended anima- papers presented at the scholarly sym- ture.
tion. It took a request by Illinois Gov- posium. The Association is no longer the
ernor Otto Kerner to reactivate the The bicentennial celebrations of holder of an archive of materials nor
Lincoln-hearted men and women of the nation in 1976 prompted the for- does it have a staff to produce original
Springfield. The State proposed to mation of another planning committee research monographs. It functions
restore the Old State Capitol, site of to plot out a long-range agenda for the more to provide a forum for scholars
Lincoln’s House Divided Speech, to Association. Obvious suggestions, to present their research findings and
its original luster. Since 1876 Sanga- such as an update of the Collected new interpretations based upon famil-
mon County had used it as the county Works, Lincoln Day By Day, and other iar materials. The Association also pro-
court house. The courts, having out- significant Association writings, were vides a vital function in offering finan-
grown the facility, moved to a new advanced. Little was accomplished, cial support to important Lincoln
facility, allowing the State to turn it however, due to lack of funds. The research and projects. The Associa-
back into a Lincoln site. The Associa- State of Illinois’ undertaking of the tion’s unfailing annual contributions
tion accepted the challenge of raising Lincoln Legal Papers filled a research to the Lincoln Legal Papers have paid
money for period furnishings to deco- lacuna identified by the Association off with the DVD-ROM edition
rate the rooms and resumed the prac- fifty years ago. The Association quickly appearing in 2000. And the Associa-
tice of holding annual banquets, host- endorsed the project and became one tion was the first organization to sup-
ing as the first speaker Adlai E. Steven- of its main private supporters. port the proposed Abraham Lincoln
son, then United States Ambassador Much of the Association’s current Presidential Library with a check for
to the United Nations. A group of less influence is reflected in its symposia $5,000.
than three hundred members, the and publications. New voices in Lin- The Association made its two most
Abraham Lincoln Association raised coln studies received their first hearing important works, The Collected Works of
over a quarter of a million dollars for at the annual Abraham Lincoln Sym- Abraham Lincoln and Lincoln Day By
the restoration of the Old State Capi- posium. Scholars such as Allen Guelzo, Day, available on the Internet. All of
tol. The building was ready by Decem- Daniel Walker Howe, Drew McCoy, the back issues of The Journal of the
ber 3, 1968, the 175th anniversary of Richard Carwardine, William Lee Abraham Lincoln Association are avail-
Illinois statehood. Miller, Stewart Winger, and Silvana able online through the University of
Reinvigorated, the Association Siddali were all introduced to the Lin- Illinois Press Web site. This provides
looked to other projects to undertake. coln community through their talks at scholars around the world with access
For a brief time, they contemplated the symposium. Seminal articles such to significant Lincoln scholarship. All
assisting the State with the renovation as William Gienapp’s “Lincoln and the totaled, these accomplishments are
of the Lincoln Home neighborhood. Border States,” James McPherson’s remarkable for any organization.
A P PL I CATI O N F OR ME M BER SHI P
Please enroll me as a member of the Mail this application (or a photocopy)
Abraham Lincoln Association in the and a check to:
category indicated:
The Abraham Lincoln Association
Railsplitter $35 1 Old State Capitol Plaza
($25 Student) Springfield, Illinois
Postmaster $75 62701
Lawyer $200
Congressman $500 Name
President $1,000 Street Web site: www.alincolnassoc.com
City
Members residing outside the U.S. add State
$3.00. Zip
8 For th e People
Who Is t he Gr eat est?
T
By Thomas F. Schwartz one spot going to Ronald Reagan, Lin- Mandela was in the top spot with pro-
he Discovery Channel in collab- coln second, King third, Washington fessional golfer Gary Player number
oration with the Today Show fourth, and Benjamin Franklin fifth two and the nonviolence leader Mahat-
hosted an ongoing series over The show mirrored similar efforts ma Gandhi number three.
the summer, “The Greatest American.” in 2002 by a British Broadcasting Com- Traditionally, the polls for greatest
Each week, host Matt Lauer would pany (BBC) production, “Greatest president involve academics and other
post a diminishing list of “greatest” Briton.” Winston Churchill won that informed public figures. The Internet
Americans and ask viewers to vote. competition but the number two spot has democratized the voting process,
Not content with the legal requirement went to Isambard Kingdom Brunel, an reaching new audiences. But what is
of “one man, one vote,” the producers engineer best known for the Thames one to glean from the results of these
of the show allowed each viewer a Tunnel, the Great Western Railway, and shows? Without knowing who is vot-
potential of nine votes per show: three steamships such as the Bristol. Not sur- ing and how often, these polls offer lit-
votes by a 1–800 number, three votes prisingly, the number three spot went tle more than entertainment value and
by going to the Web site, and three to Princess Diana. In Germany, a 2003 very little insight into what meaning
votes using text messaging. Once the poll listed Chancellor Konrad Adenauer can be teased from the rankings. Per-
show reached the final five names, as the “greatest” German, nosing out haps the best example of this is a 2003
small cheering sections were brought Martin Luther and Karl Marx for the BBC show, “What The World Thinks
in to add energy to an otherwise dull two and three positions respectively. of America.” Viewers were asked to
business. In spite of these efforts, the Frenchmen listed Charles de Gaulle as nominate their greatest American by
show fell flat. Theoretically, one could their favorite historical figure in a simi- sending names to the BBC Web page.
see the whole enterprise as nothing lar 2005 contest, with Abbé Pierre, The winner was a Springfieldian,
more than harmless fun. Others Jacques Cousteau, Marie Curie, Victor Homer Simpson, the cartoon dad,
thought it unseemly to pit the achieve- Hugo, Molière, Louis Pasteur, and with 47.17 percent. In second place
ments of Martin Luther King Jr, Edith Piaf vying in the top spots. was another famous Springfieldian,
George Washington, or Abraham Lin- South Africa attempted a similar Abraham Lincoln (9.97 percent). Mar-
coln against one another. In the end, series only to pull the plug on the show tin Luther King Jr. (8.54 percent) and
popularity and perhaps a bit of present after pro-apartheid figures received A-Team strongman Mr. T (7.83 per-
mindedness prevailed with the number strong showings. Regardless, Nelson cent) trailed the pack.
For the People Nonprofit Organization
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