Not a dumb question, but here is an explanation:
In wire feed constant voltage [CV] machines the settings are voltage and wire speed. This applies to Your Lincoln as well. The amperage will change relative to the wire speed up to the capacity of the machine. This is because the transformer is trying to maintain the set voltage and arc length, and the more wire You feed in the more amperage it takes to melt it all.
The transformer is wound differently in a stick welder, You set the maximum amperage, and the voltage varies with the arc length, this is called constant current [CC].
These are theoretical descriptions, in actuality both machines have slope to the volt amper curve if You plot it on a graph, but the ammount of slope is extremely different on a CV [MIG] machine than on a CC [stick/TIG] machine.
There are charts published that show the amperage based on the wire diameter and feed rate, You read the amperage from the chart if the machine has no instrumentation and You have no external way to measure it.