There's been some conversation on the listserv about Abraham
Lincoln's relationship to the American temperance movement. We often
why late nineteenth-century American temperance reformers presented
Lincoln as one of their great heroes when the best-known speeches
attack prohibitionism to praise "moral suasion." Well, there is an
interesting item for auction on eBay this week documenting his 1860
run as the "Cold Water Candidate." I'll paste in the description &
provide the link for anyone interested. There are good quality scans
of the "Cold Water" Lincoln stationery & envelope available at this
link, but look now because the auction ends on March 2 and they'll
surely disappear at that time.  May be your only chance to nab the
images for your private electronic archive. Since I haven't bid on
the item I can't view the email address of the auctioneer using
"hungrelic" as his eBay ID. If anyone knows more about this kind of
thing I'd be interested & imagine the rest of the listserv would be
receptive to comments.

The description:

Important Abraham Lincoln presidential campaign of 1860 special
stationery and matching cover, both bearing fabulous engravings of a
beardless Lincoln being touted as "The Cold Water Candidate" endorsed
by the American Temperance movement. Browned ink, two-sided letter
written on August 7th, 1860, by M. H. Allardt (as editor of the
Cleveland-based temperance newspaper called "The Analyst") to Albert
M. Edwards (editor of a Detroit-based temperance newspaper called
"The Journal"), discussing various stratagems in mustering and
maintaining support for the "cold water candidates." Although Lincoln
is not mentioned by name in the body of the letter, an advertisement
for "Lincoln Envelopes" appears on the back of the cover, which was
postmarked and stamped on front in Cleveland the very same day the
letter was written - August 7th, 1860, making for an even better and
more significant display. An interesting sidelight is that once the
Civil War erupted, the original owner of this letter, Albert M.
Edwards, became a Captain of the 24th Michigan Infantry of Iron
Brigade fame and was the surviving senior officer in command of the
unit after Gettysburg, eventually being promoted to Colonel of the
regiment. A fantastic, colorful Civil War political item. Image of
letter with cover scanned at actual size, image of reverse of cover
only enlarged. Overall condition of both pieces is very good-plus
with the normal nicks and minor blemishes as shown.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1114983862

Jon