the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第24章

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the　dives　were　closed。　Closing　the　joints；　called　attention　to　the　perjury
of　the　county　officials；　for　it　was　proven　to　be　their　fault；　that　we
have　dives　in　Kansas。　In　order　to　direct　the　attention　from　themselves；
as　perjurers；　and　to　me　as　insane；　and　to　be　avenged；　they　put　their　heads
together　to　bring　this　suit　against　me。　Mr。　Griffin　was　no　more　to　blame
in　this　matter　than　the　rest　of　the　republicans。　A。　L。　Noble；　Polly　Tincher；
Edd　Sample；　and　Mr。　Herr；　the　city　attorney　of　Kiowa；　were　all　employed
by　Sam　Griffin。　This　practically　took　all　the　legal　ability；　leaving　one；
G。　A。　Martin；　whom　I　retained。　I　had　witnesses　enough　to　prove　gambling
and　drinking　in　these　dives　by　Sam；　and　the　sheriff；　had　sufficient
testimony　to　justify　me　in　saying　what　I　did。　The　republican　judge　of
Kingman；　Gillette；　ruled　out　my　testimony　right　through。　If　my　case
had　been　conducted　properly　by　my　lawyer；　and　proper　exceptions　taken；
I　could　have　taken　the　case　to　the　supreme　court；　and　had　it　reversed　on
several　rulings。　Judge　Stevens　and　Judge　Lacey；　who　were　at　the　trial；
told　me　they　never　saw　such　determination　on　the　part　of　any　judge　to
cut　out　the　defense　as　the　rulings　of　Judge　Gillette。　It　was　evident　that
everything　was　cut　and　dried　before　going　into　court。　Judge　Gillette
had　several　pages　of　instructions　to　the　jury；　telling　them　their　duty　was
to　convict　and　that　the　damages　should　be　a　large　sum。　I　had　these
instructions　examined　by　a　good　lawyer；　Mr。　Duminel；　of　Topeka；　and　the
judge　overleaped　his　perogative。　He　should　have　told　the　jury　the　facts
and　the　statute　governing　slander；　but　his　instructions　were　an　appeal　and
command　to　convict　me。　This　Judge　Gillette　has　a　reputation　for　being
a　respected　citizen；　but　his　zeal　to　save　from　disgrace　his　republican
colleagues　led　him　to　thus　persecute　a　loyal　woman　Home　Defender　of
Kansas；　and　protect　the　rum　defenders；　and　republican　schemers；　who
have　done　more　to　injure　prohibition　in　Kansas　than　any　other　party。
If　a　democrat　wanted　to　carry　on　a　dive；　republicans　would　grant　him
the　permit　to　do　so。

The　jury　brought　in　a　verdict　of　guilty；　but　the　damages　to　the　character
of　this　republican　county　attorney　was　one　dollar；　and　of　course
I　sent　him　the　dollar；　but　the　cost　which　was；　including　all；　about　two
hundred　dollars　was　assessed　to　me　and　a　judgement　put　on　a　piece　of
property；　which　I　paid　off；　by　the　sale　of　my　little　hatchets；　and　lectures。
Strange　these　trials　never　caused　me　to　become　discouraged；
rather　the　reverse。　I　knew　I　was　right；　and　God　in　his　own　time　would
come　to　my　help。　The　more　injustice　I　suffered；　the　more　cause　I　had
to　resent　the　wrongs。　I　always　felt　that　I　was　keeping　others　out　of
trouble；　when　I　was　in。　I　had　resolved　that　at　the　first　opportunity　I
would　go　to　Wichita　and　break　up　some　of　the　bold　outlawed　murder
mills　there。　I　thought　perhaps　it　was　God's　will　to　make　me　a　sacrifice
as　he　did　John　Brown；　and　I　knew　this　was　a　defiance　of　the　national
intrigue　of　both　republican　and　democratic　parties；　when　I　destroyed　this
malicious　property；　which　afforded　them　a　means　of　enslaving　the　people；
taxing　them　to　gather　a　revenue　they　could　squander；　and　giving　them
political　jobs；　thus　creating　a　force　to　manage　the　interest　and　take　care
of　the　results　of　a　business　where　the　advantage　was　in　the　graft　it　gave
to　them　and　the　brewers　and　distillers。

In　two　weeks　from　the　close　of　this　trial；　on　the　27th　of　December；
1900；　I　went　to　Wichita；　almost　seven　months　after　the　raid　in　Kiowa。
Mr。　Nation　went　to　see　his　brother；　Mr。　Seth　Nation；　in　eastern　Kansas
and　I　was　free　to　leave　home。　Monday　was　the　26th；　the　day　I　started。
The　Sunday　before；　the　25th；　I　went　to　the　Baptist　Sunday　school　then　to
the　Presbyterian　for　preaching；　and　at　the　close　walked　over　to　the　Methodist
church　for　class　meeting。　I　could　not　keep　from　weeping；　but　I
controlled　myself　the　best　I　could。　I　did　not　know　but　that　it　would
be　the　last　time　I　would　ever　see　my　dear　friends　again；　and　could　not
tell　them　why。　I　gave　my　testimony　at　the　class　meeting；　spoke　particularly
to　members　of　the　choir　about　their　extravagant　dress；　told　them
that　a　poor　sinner　coming　there　for　relief　would　be　driven　away；　to　see
such　a　vanity　fair　in　front。　I　begged　them　to　dress　neither　in　gold；　silver
or　costly　array；　and　spoke　of　the　sin　of　wearing　the　corpses　of　dead　birds
and　plumage　of　birds；　and　closed　by　saying：　〃These　may　be　my　dying
words。〃　At　the　close　Sister　Shell；　a　W。　C。　T。　U。　said　to　me：　〃What
do　you　mean　by　'my　dying　words？'　for　you　never　looked　better　in　your
life。〃　I　said：　〃You　will　know　later。〃　I　never　told　anyone　then　of　my
intention　of　smashing　saloons　in　Wichita。

I　took　a　valise　with　me；　and　in　that　valise　I　put　a　rod　of　iron；　perhaps
a　foot　long；　and　as　large　around　as　my　thumb。　I　also　took　a　cane
with　me。　I　found　out　by　smashing　in　Kiowa　that　I　could　use　a　rock　but
once；　so　I　took　the　cane　with　me。　I　got　down　to　Wichita　about　seven
o'clock　in　the　evening；　that　day；　and　went　to　the　hotel　near　the　Santa　Fe
depot　and　left　my　valise。　I　went　up　town　to　select　the　place　I　would　begin
at　first。　I　went　into　about　fourteen　places；　where　men　were　drinking
at　bars；　the　same　as　they　do　in　licensed　places。　The　police　standing　with
the　others。　This　outrage　of　law　and　decency　was　in　violation　of　the　oaths
taken　by　every　city　officer；　including　mayor　and　councilmen；　and　they　were
as　much　bound　to　destroy　these　joints　as　they　would　be　to　arrest　a　murderer；
or　break　up　a　den　of　thieves；　but　many　of　these　so…called　officers
encouraged　the　violation　of　the　law　and　patronized　these　places。　I　have
often　explained　that　this　was　the　scheme　of　politicians　and　brewers　to
make　prohibition　a　failure；　by　encouraging　in　every　way　the　violation　of
the　constitution。　I　felt　the　outrage　deeply；　and　would　gladly　have　given
my　life　to　redress　the　wrongs　of　the　people。　As　Esther　said：　〃How　can
I　see　the　desolation　of　my　people？　If　I　perish。〃　As　Patrick　Henry　said：
〃Give　me　liberty　or　give　me　death。〃

I　finally　came　to　the　〃Carey　Hotel；〃　next　to　which　was　called　the
Carey　Annex　or　Bar。　The　first　thing　that　struck　me　was　the　life…size
picture　of　a　naked　woman；　opposite　the　mirror。　This　was　an　oil　painting
with　a　glass　over　it；　and　was　a　very　fine　painting　hired　from　the
artist　who　painted　it；　to　be　put　in　that　place　for　a　vile　purpose。　I　called
to　the　bartender；　told　him　he　was　insulting　his　own　mother　by　having
her　form　stripped　naked　and　hung　up　in　a　place　where　it　was　not　even
decent　for　a　woman　to　be　in　when　she　had　her　clothes　on。　I　told　him
he　was　a　law…breaker　and　that　he　should　be　behind　prison　bars；　instead
of　saloon　bars。　He　said　nothing　to　me　but　walked　to　the　back　of　his
saloon。　It　is　very　significant　that　the　picture　of　naked　women　are　in
saloons。　Women　are　stripped　of　everything　by　them。　Her　husband　is
torn　from　her；　she　is　robbed　of　her　sons；　her　home；　her　food　and　her
virtue；　and　then　they　strip　her　clothes　off　and　hang　her　up　bare　in　these
dens　of　robbery　and　murder。　Well　does　a　saloon　make　a　woman　bare　of
all　things！　The　motive　for　doing　this　is　to　suggest　vice；　animating　the
animal　in　man　and　degrading　the　respect　he　should　have　for　the　sex　to
whom　he　owes　his　being；　yes；　his　Savior　also。

I　decided　to　go　to　the　Carey　for　several　reasons。　It　was　the　most
dangerous；　being　the　finest。　The　low　doggery　will　take　the　low　and　keep
them　low　but　these　so…called　respectable　ones　will　take　the　respectable；
make　them　low；　then　kick　them　out。　A　poor　vagabond　applied　to　a　bar
tender　in　one　of　these　hells　glittering　with　crystalized　tears　and　fine
fixtures。
The　man　behind　the　bar　said；　〃You　get　out；　you　disgrace　my　place。〃
The　poor　creature；　who　had　been　his　mother's　greatest　treasure；　shuffled
out　toward　the　door。　Another　customer　came　in；　a　nice　looking　young
man　with　a　good　suit；　a　white　collar；　and　looking　as　if　he　had　plenty
of　money；　The　smiling　bar　tender　mixed　a　drink　and　was　handing　it　to
him。　The　poor　vagabond　from　the　door　called　out。　〃Oh；　don't　begin　on
him。　Five　years　ago；　I　came　into　your　place；　looking　just　like　that
young　man。　You　have　made　me　what　you　see　me　now。　Giv