Quote: You cannot fool all the people all the time (Jacques Abbadie; Prohibitionists)

Sun Dec 8 18:02:56 UTC 2013

Thanks for your response JL. The saying did inspire the construction
of some anti-proverbs. Here are two precursors followed by two
instances of a common anti-proverb. The cites here seem rather late
given the age of the proverb and probably can be improved.

[ref] 1896 June 09, The Knoxville Journal (Daily Journal and Journal
and Tribune), "H. Clay Evans. Will Take Care of Our Bob All Right, in
Good Shape", Start Page 2, Quote Page 2, Knoxville, Tennessee.
(GenealogyBank)[/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
They know—because they have tried it—that they "can fool all the
people a part of the time and a part of the people all the time" but
they have found out that they "can't fool all of the people all the
time." So the question that mostly concerns them now is can they still
fool enough of the people to keep themselves in power?
[End excerpt]

[ref] 1896 October 05, The Evening Journal (Jersey Journal), From
State Exchanges: Editorial Opinions on Current Topics, Quote Page 4,
Column 4, Jersey City, New Jersey. (GenealogyBank)[/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
The Newark News got a snap shot at Bryan which moved it to say: "Mr.
Bryan doubtless takes comfort and encouragement from one famous saying
of Mr. Lincoln. 'You can fool some people all the time, and all the
people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the
time,' said the great President. Mr. Bryan has no desire to fool all
the people all the time. If he could fool enough of them to elect him
President on Nov. 8, he would be quite well contented."
[End excerpt]

[ref] 1900 May 06, The Sunday Herald (Boston Herald), Current Fun,
Quote Page 46, Column 7, Boston, Massachusetts. (GenealogyBank)[/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
Once upon a time some Reformers, looking very ferocious, came upon
some Ordinary Persons. All this in a certain large and populous town.
"Can you show us any tiger's tracks?" asked the Reformers.
"We can show you a tiger," replied the Ordinary Persons.
"All we want is tracks!" protested the Reformers and went their way
with much noise and were all presently elected to fat offices, it
being possible always to fool enough of the people enough of the
time.—Puck.
[End excerpt]

[ref] 1908 October 28, The Sydney Mail, Humourist, (Freestanding short
joke), Quote Page 2, Column 1, Sydney, Australia. (Google News
Archive)[/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
"I should think you'd go slow," said the cautious friend, "You know,
as Lincoln said, you can fool all the people some of the time, and
some of the people'"----
"That's all right," interrupted the sharper, "but I find it's always
possible to fool enough of the people enough of the time."
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Sun, Dec 8, 2013 at 10:15 AM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Quote: You cannot fool all the people all the time (Jacques
>               Abbadie; Prohibitionists)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> It was in the early '80s that I first encountered the extended version
> exemplified below.  My students loved it, possibly because it gave them
> hope.
>
> 1915 E. A. Ross in _Publication of the American Sociological Society_ IX
> 131: Someone has amended Lincoln's optimistic aphorism, "You can't fool all
> the people all of the time," with the saying: "But you can fool enough of
> the people enough of the time."
>
> JL
>
>
> On Sat, Dec 7, 2013 at 8:39 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.co=
> m
>> wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
>> Subject:      Quote: You cannot fool all the people all the time (Jacques
>>               Abbadie; Prohibitionists)
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
>>
>> A famous adage attributed to Abraham Lincoln was discussed on this
>> list in 2010 and 2012. Here is the version listed at Wikiquote:
>>
>> You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people
>> some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the
>> time.
>>
>> The earliest currently known strong match for the saying appeared on
>> July 5, 1886 in the "Springfield Globe-Republic" of Ohio, I believe.
>> Steve Goranson found this excellent citation. Further below I list
>> some earlier matches.
>>
>> The Yale Book of Quotations has an important precursor expression in
>> French from Denis Diderot in 1754. I've located a nearly identical
>> statement in 1684 employed by Jacques Abbadie in an influential
>> treatise of Christian apologetics.
>>
>> Year: 1684 (MDCLXXXIV),
>> Title: Trait=C3=A9 de la V=C3=A9rit=C3=A9 de la Religion Chr=C3=A9tienne,
>> Author: Jacques Abbadie,
>> Quote Page 11,
>> Publisher: Chez Reinier Leers, Rotterdam,
>> (The original text used "tems" instead of "temps" which is given in
>> the excerpt here)
>> (Google Books Full View)
>> http://books.google.com/books?id=3DJNF8mfdKl90C&q=3D%22tous+dans%22#v=3Ds=
> nippet&
>>
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> ... ont p=C5=B1 tromper quelques hommes, ou les tromper tous dans certain=
> s
>> lieux & en certains temps, mais non pas tous les hommes, dans tous les
>> lieux & dans tous les si=C3=A9cles.
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>> [Begin translation from YBQ]
>> One can fool some men, or fool all men in some places and times, but
>> one cannot fool all men in all places and ages.
>> [End translation]
>>
>>
>> On September 9, 1885 "The Syracuse Daily Standard" of Syracuse, New
>> York published an article about a convention of Prohibitionists during
>> which a speech was delivered by a judge named William. J. Groo who
>> complained about the actions of state politicians. He spoke a version
>> of the adage without attribution:
>>
>> [ref] 1885 September 9, The Syracuse Daily Standard, Prohibitionists
>> in Arms: The Third Party Declare War  to the Knife on Democrats and
>> Republicans, Quote Page 4, Column 4, Syracuse, New York. (Old
>> Fulton)[/ref]
>>
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> You can fool all the people part of the time, or you can fool some
>> people all the time, but you cannot fool all people all the time.
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>>
>> On March 8, 1886 "The Albany Times" of Albany, New York published an
>> article titled "Prohibitionists Not Fooled" that included an interview
>> with Fred. F. Wheeler who was the chairman of the prohibition state
>> committee. Wheeler was in favor of submitting a prohibition amendment
>> to the general electorate for a vote. He criticized politicians who he
>> thought were attempting to fool the public and impede the movement
>> toward such a referendum. In the following excerpt Wheeler attributed
>> an instance of the adage to Lincoln:
>>
>> [ref] 1886 March 8, The Albany Times (Albany Evening Times),
>> Prohibitionists Not Fooled: By Advances of the Republican
>> Party=E2=80=94Interesting Interview with Chairman Wheeler, Quote Page 3,
>> Column 4, Albany, New York. (Old Fulton)[/ref]
>>
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> They should remember Abraham Lincoln's famous saying: "You can fool
>> part of the people some of the time, you can fool some of the people
>> all of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all of the time,"
>> and take their stand boldly and fearlessly on this question and abide
>> the result at the ballot box.
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>>
>> On May 4, 1886 "The Brooklyn Daily Eagle" printed "Coquetting with
>> Prohibitionists" which consisted of an extended excerpt from "The
>> Voice" a periodical operated by prohibitionists. A version of the
>> expression under investigation was credited to Lincoln:
>>
>> [ref] 1886 May 4, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Coquetting with
>> Prohibitionists, (Acknowledgement "From the Voice, the Prohibition
>> Organ"), Quote Page 2, Column 2, Brooklyn, New York. (Old
>> Fulton)[/ref]
>>
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> But, as Lincoln used to say, you can fool all of the people some of
>> the time, and you can fool some of the people all of the time; but you
>> can't fool all the people all the time.
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>> The text above was also printed on May 5, 2013 in the "The Genesee
>> Valley Post" of Belmont, New York
>>
>> [ref] 1886 May 5, The Genesee Valley Post (Belmont Genesee Valley
>> Post), The Prohibitionists Ask No Favors But Demand Their Rights,
>> (Acknowledgement to the Voice), Quote Page 2, Column 2, Belmont, New
>> York. (NewspaperArchive)[/ref]
>>
>> Garson
>>
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>>
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>
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