the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第23章

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I　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　street　and　spoke　in　this　way：　〃I　have
destroyed　three　of　your　places　of　business；　and　if　I　have　broken　a　statute
of　Kansas；　put　me　in　jail；　if　I　am　not　a　law…breaker　your　mayor　and
councilmen　are。　You　must　arrest　one　of　us；　for　if　I　am　not　a　criminal；
they　are。〃

One　of　the　councilmen；　who　was　a　butcher；　said：　〃Don't　you　think
we　can　attend　to　our　business。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃You　can；　but　you　won't。　As　Jail　Evangelist　of　Medicine
Lodge；　I　know　you　have　manufactured　many　criminals　and　this
county　is　burdened　down　with　taxes　to　prosecute　the　results　of　these　dives。
Two　murders　have　been　committed　in　the　last　five　years　in　this　county；
one　in　a　dive　I　have　just　destroyed。　You　are　a　butcher　of　hogs　and　cattle；
but　they　are　butchering　men；　women　and　children；　positively　contrary　to
the　laws　of　God　and　man；　and　the　mayor　and　councilmen　are　more　to
blame　than　the　jointist；　and　now　if　I　have　done　wrong　in　any　particular；
arrest　me。〃　When　I　was　through　with　my　speech　I　got　in　my　buggy　and
said：　〃I'll　go　home。〃

The　marshal　held　my　horse　and　said：　〃Not　yet；　the　mayor　wishes
to　see　you。〃

I　drove　up　where　he　was；　and　the　man　who　owned　one　of　the　dive…
buildings　I　had　smashed　was　standing　by　Dr。　Korn；　the　mayor；　and　said：
〃I　want　you　to　pay　for　the　front　windows　you　broke　of　my　building。〃

I　said：　〃No；　you　are　a　partner　of　the　dive…keeper　and　the　statutes
hold　your　building　responsible。　The　man　that　rents　the　building　for　any
business　is　no　better　than　the　man　who　carries　on　the　business；　and　you
are　〃particepts　criminus〃　or　party　to　the　crime。〃　They　ran　back　and
forward　to　the　city　attorney　several　times。　At　last　they　came　and　told
me　I　could　go。　As　I　drove　through　the　streets　the　reins　fell　out　of　my
hands　and　I；　standing　up　in　my　buggy；　lifted　my　hands　twice；　saying：
〃Peace　on　earth；　good　will　to　men。〃　This　action　I　know　was　done
through　the　inspiration　of　the　Holy　Spirit。　〃Peace　on　earth；　good　will
to　men〃　being　the　result　of　the　destruction　of　saloons　and　the　motive　for
destroying　them。

When　I　reached　Medicine　Lodge　the　town　was　in　quite　an　excitement；
the　news　having　been　telegraphed　ahead。　I　drove　through　the　streets
and　told　the　people　I　would　be　at　the　postoffice　corner　to　tell　why　I　had
done　this。　A　great　crowd　had　gathered　and　I　began　to　tell　them　of　my
work　in　the　jail　here；　and　the　young　men's　lives　that　had　been　ruined；
and　the　broken　hearted　mothers；　the　taxation　that　had　been　brought　on
the　county；　and　other　wrongs　of　the　dives　of　Kiowa；　of　how　I　had　been
to　the　sheriff；　Mr。　Gano；　and　the　prosecuting　attorney；　Mr。　Griffin；　how　I
had　written　to　the　state's　attorney…general　Mr。　Godard；　and　I　saw　there
was　a　conspiracy　with　the　party　in　power　to　violate　their　oaths；　and　refuse
to　enforce　the　constitution　of　Kansas；　and　I　did　only　what　they　swore　they
would　do。　I　had　a　letter　from　a　Mr。　Long；　of　Kiowa；　saying　that　Mr。
Griffin；　the　prosecuting　attorney；　was　taking　bribes；　and　that　he　and　the
sheriff　were　drinking　and　gambling　in　the　dives　at　Kiowa。

This　smashing　aroused　the　people　of　the　county　to　this　outrage　and
these　dive…keepers　were　arrested；　although　we　did　not　ask　the　prosecuting
attorney　to　get　out　a　warrant；　or　sheriff　to　make　an　arrest。　Neither
did　we　take　the　case　before　any　justice　of　the　peace　in　Kiowa　or　Medicine
Lodge；　for　they　belong　to　the　republican　party　and　would　prevent
the　prosecution。　The　cases　were　taken　out　in　the　country　several　miles
from　Kiowa　before　Moses　E。　Wright；　a　Free　Methodist　and　a　justice　of
the　peace　of　Moore　township。

The　men　were　found　guilty；　and　for　the　first　time　in　the　history　of
Barber　County；　all　dives　were　closed。　Of　course　it　took　two　or　three
months　to　accomplish　this　and　not　a　word　was　said　about　suing　me　for
slander；　until　after　the　dives　were　closed。　Then　I　began　to　hear　that
Sam　Griffin　was　going　to　sue　me　for　slander；　because　I　said　he　took　bribes。
The　papers　were　served　on　me；　but　I　was　not　at　all　alarmed；　for　I　thought
it　would　give　me　an　opportunity　to　bring　out　the　facts　of　the　case。　I
knew　little　about　the　tricks　of　lawyers；　and　the　unfair　rulings　of　judges。

I　will　here　speak　of　the　attitude　of　some　of　the　W。　C。　T。　U。　concerning
the　smashing。　Most　of　this　grand　body　of　grand　women　endorsed
me　from　the　first。　A　few　weeks　after　the　Kiowa　raid；　I　held　a　convention
in　Medicine　Lodge。　I　got　letters　from　various　W。　C。　T。　U。　workers
of　the　state　that　they　would　hold　my　convention　for　me。　I　said：　〃No；
I　will　hold　my　own　convention。〃

Up　to　this　time；　no　one　had　ever　offered　to　hold　my　convention；
and　I　fully　understood；　although　I　did　not　say　anything；　that　the　W。　C。
T。　U。　did　not　want　it　to　go　out　that　they　endorsed　me　in　my　work　at
Kiowa。　The　state　president　came　to　my　home　the　first　day　of　the　convention。
I　believe　this　was　done；　thinking　I　would　ask　her　to　preside　at
the　meeting；　or　convention。　I　was　glad　to　see　her　and　asked　her　to　conduct
a　parliamentary　drill。　She　came　to　me　privately　and　asked　me　to
state　to　the　convention　that　the　W。　C。　T。　U。　knew　nothing　about　the
smashing　at　Kiowa　and　was　not　responsible　for　this　act　of　mine。　I　did
so；　saying　the　〃honor　of　smashing　the　saloons　at　Kiowa　would　have　to
be　ascribed　to　myself　alone；　as　the　W。　C。　T。　U。　did　not　wish　any　of　it。　So
far　as　Sister　Hutchinson；　who　is；　and　has　been　the　president　for　some　time；
is　concerned；　I　believe　her　to　be　a　conscientious　woman；　and　whose　heart
is　in　the　right　place。　She　and　I　have　been　the　best　of　friends　and　love
each　other；　and　she　has　often　defended　me　and　spoken　well　of　my　work。
But　I　think　the　W。　C。　T。　U。　would　be　much　more　effective　under　her
management；　if　she　had　understood　that　Stanley；　the　republican　governor；
wished　to　handicap　her　in　her　prohibition　work　when　he　appointed
her　husband　as　physician　in　the　reformatory　at　Hutchinson；　Kansas。　Be
it　said　to　the　credit　of　this　christian　physician　he　never　used　alcohol　in
his　practice。　And　perhaps　other　bearings　have　prevented　her　from　seeing
that　the　republican　pressure　has　injured　our　work　more　than　anything
else　in　Kansas。　Many　of　the　wives　of　these　political　wire…pullers
are　prominent　in　the　Union。　A　W。　C。　T。　U。　must　of　necessity　be　a
prohibitionist；
for　her　pledge　is　a　prohibition　pledge；　not　a　temperance　one。

The　Free　Methodists；　although　few　in　number；　and　considered　a　church
of　but　small　influence；　have　been　a　great　power　in　reform。　They　were
the　abolitionists　of　negro　slavery　to　a　man；　and　now　they　are　the
abolitionists　of　the　liquor　curse　to　a　man。　They　were　also　my　friends
in　this　smashing。　Father　Wright　and　Bro。　Atwood　were　at　the　convention
I　speak　of。　Father　Wright；　who　has　been　an　old　soldier　for　the
defence　of　Truth　for　many　years　said　to　me：　〃Never　mind；　Sister　Nation；
when　they　see　the　way　the　cat　jumps；　you　will　have　plenty　of　friends。〃
The　ministers　were　also　my　friends　and　approved　of　the　smashing。　Bro。
McClain；　of　the　Christian　church；　was　at　the　convention；　and　he　was
trying　to　apologize　for　the　smashing　and　defend　me　at　the　same　time；
he　said：　〃We　all　make　mistakes　and　crooked　paths；　and　Sister　Nation
we　all　know；　tries　to　do　right；　and　even　if　she　did　some　crooked　things；
all　the　rest　of　us　do　the　same　thing。〃

I　appreciated　his　motive；　but　for　the　sake　of　others；　I　replied：　〃I
could　not　see　that　the　term　'crooked'　should　be　used。　I　rolled　up　the
rocks　as　STRAIGHT　as　I　could；　I　placed　them　straight　in　the　box；　hitched
up　my　horse　straight；　drove　straight　to　Kiowa；　walked　straight　in　the
saloon；　threw　straight　and　broke　them　up　in　the　straightest　manner；　drove
home　straight　and　I　did　not　make　a　crooked　step　in　smashing。〃　This
of　course　was　pleasantry；　but　it　was　the　way　I　took　to　justify　myself；　as
but　few　seemed　to　see　the　merit　or　result　of　this　crusade。

I　never　explained　to　the　people　that　God　told　me　to　do　this　for　some
months；　for　I　tried　to　shield　myself　from　the　almost　universal　opinion
that　I　was　partially　insane。

I　will　now　speak　of　my　persecution　for　so…called　slandering　the
prosecuting　attorney。　As　I　said；　no　one　mentioned　such　a　thing　until
the　dives　were　closed。　Closing　the　joints；　called　attention　to　the　perjury
of　the　county　officials；