You never fail. It's really quite amazing.
It's Not Lincoln, But It's Still Memorable
July 29, 1995|By Ann Landers.
Dear Ann Landers:
I'll bet you've printed this piece before, but it's worth repeating. It was written by Abraham Lincoln.
Joyce in Bandera, Texas
Dear Joyce: I did indeed
print
"Ten Cannots" in 1991 and was inundated with letters telling me Abraham Lincoln was NOT the author.
The first letter was from historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. Then came letters from L.S. Clemens, then editor of the Elgin Courier-News, and Mike Lackey, of the Lima, Ohio,
News. All informed me that the author was the Rev. William J.H. Boetcker, a Presbyterian clergyman who had given up the pulpit to lecture on industrial relations. He wrote those words in 1916. However, a pamphlet that included these "Ten Cannots" by the Rev. Boetcker, also included an authentic quote from Abraham Lincoln.
That's where the confusion set in. It was placed in the Congressional Record in 1949, attributed to Abraham Lincoln, and has been reprinted repeatedly since then. If one takes a closer look, it doesn't appear to be something Lincoln would have said, but it does contain wisdom. Here it is again:
Ten Cannots by the Rev. William J.H. Boetcker
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
