5/25/2004

The greatest Lincoln quote that never was

You see this all over the Internet, attributed to Lincoln, but not cited:

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing what they could and should do for themselves.

Looking for the source of this quote, I encountered this nice explanatory, telling (a) that it is not a Lincoln quote and (b) why so many think it came from Old Abe.

Try googling "You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift."

"You cannot quote authorities without sourcing or citing."