The Scene: Caught in a time warp of their own lies, the Republicans in Congress are transported back to the evening when President Lincoln is about to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. 

Lincoln: "Gentlemen, who are you?"

Republicans: "Mr. President, we're your Party from the future."

Lincoln: "Why then, you are most welcome."  (Aside: "Am I dreaming?")

Republicans: "Thank you, Mr. President."

Lincoln: "You are welcome.  Please be seated."  (To himself: "Those of whom can find a place to sit.")

Republicans: "Thank you again, Mr. President."

Lincoln: "I was about to sign a most important document, Gentlemen."

Republicans: "What is that, Mr. President?"

Lincoln: "It is a document that will emancipate all the slaves.  I will call it, 'The Emancipation Proclamation'."

Republicans: "Perhaps we arrived just in time, Mr. President."

Lincoln: "Why is that?"

Republicans: "It might be better if you wait."

Lincoln: "Why should I wait, Gentlemen?  Does not the Document fulfill its Destiny?"

Republicans: "It does that, Mr. President."

Lincoln: "Well, then is there a problem?"

Republicans: "It works too well."

Lincoln: "How is that?"

Republicans: "Well, just as we said, it works a little too good."

Lincoln: "I don't understand."

Republicans: "Look at this way, Mr. President.  What if we have 'African-Americans' (that's what we call them in the future) voting and one of them ran for President?  And he won.  You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Lincoln: "An American Negro. For President.  I never had thought about that possibility..."

Republicans: "See what we're talking about..."

Lincoln: "...I guess that could be a logical possibility?  Interesting..."

Republicans: "...and he was hell bent on turning everything upside down."

Lincoln: "Doing what, if I might inquire?"

Republicans: "Well, you know, things."

Lincoln: "What things?  Really Gentlemen, it can not be all that bad in the future, can it?"

Republicans: "He's just doing stuff that he shouldn't be doing..."

Lincoln: "Is he intelligent?  I mean by that Gentlemen, is he an educated man.  Does he read the Bible?  Shakespeare?  Does he have a family?  Children, a loving wife?"

Republicans:  "He has daughters.  And yes, he's educated.  Real smart in fact.  Harvard and places like that.  A lawyer like you, Sir.  Pretty wife too."

Lincoln: "Gentlemen, I really can't see the problem.  He sounds like a fine human being."

Republicans: "You see, Mr. President, that's just the problem.  He is.  And you started it.  Right here.  By signing that piece of paper there on your desk.  Now, if you didn't.  We just waited a while.  Say, let us handle things in the future..."

Lincoln: "You mean, deny him the right to be free, to find his own destiny?"

Republicans: "Mr. President, as the future members of your Party, we..."

Lincoln: "What about all the brave Negro soldiers who have fought and are fighting to end this terrible conflict?  Their care and well being and the future care of their health?"

Republicans: "Necessary casualties, Sir.  You have to fight any war with what you have.  They'll be fine.  They've always been so.  Health care.  No problem.  We have hospitals and big corporations that handle all our health needs nicely in the future."

Lincoln: "...I even entertain the dream that one day even women can have the same rights as men."

Republicans: "Mr. President, that happens.  But it ain't working too good either.  The family, well, the family is all changed when women...  Some of us in your Party have even written scholarly papers about this.  This gentleman here..  About women and the family.  In the future, that is..."

Lincoln: "I see you have women present.  There are women in our Party?  Ladies..."

Republicans: "Well, Sir, they're really like us.  Members of the 'Men's Club,' if you follow our train of thought...hint, hint."

Lincoln: "So, if I understand you, you wish me not to sign this."

Republicans: "Yes, Sir, we do."

Lincoln: "...and deny this man in the future his rightful place in history?"

Republicans: "It isn't exactly like that, Sir.  You'd have to be there to understand.  He lies.  And we're not even sure he was born in America.  And there are other things..."

Lincoln: "Gentlemen, and Ladies, my question still remains, why should I deny this man his birthright?  Or any man, woman or child because of the color of his, or her skin or his or her birth?"

Republicans: "The bottom line, Mr. President, he's killin' the Party.  We're trying everything we can think of to destroy him.  We've even got people callin' him the 'AntiChrist' and things like that.  Nothing works.  So right now, with that little old document there on your desk, we can stop him cold."

Lincoln: "You mean, alter history."

Republicans: "Exactly."

Lincoln: "Sacrifice this man on the altar of history for the sake of the future, at least the future as you want it?"

Republicans: "Good, Sir, you understand."

Lincoln: "But then, if I alter history, you all might not be here too?"

Republicans: "Hum...  We hadn't thought of thought."

Lincoln: "Does my Party grasp the role of the intellect in the future?  Do you collectively have a sense of morality, of goodness, or honesty?"

Republicans: "Why, Mr. President, we're honest as the day is long..."

Lincoln: "I fear for my Party's future..."

Republicans: "We doing just fine Mr. President.  We just finished eight great years.  Then, this, this, man who inherits the whirlwind you could unleash tonight by signing..."

Lincoln: "Be gone foul spirits of the Night...do not trouble my soul with your dark words." 

Republicans: "But, Mr. President..."

Lincoln: "My heart is indeed heavy with fear for the Nation.  But, by signing, if I can bring this man into this House that I now inhabit...  Then, with the strength of the Almighty, I will invoke that Power and my power as the President of these United States and affix my name now to this Proclamation."  [Signs the Emancipation Proclamation.]

Republicans: "Help!  We're fading...we've failed....help us...we've lost to our future..."

End.