the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第31章

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liquor　selling。　The　whole　license　system　of　the　United　States　is　clearly
illegal　and　unconstitutional。

Abraham　Lincoln　interpreted　the　Constitution　right；　when　he　wrote
the　Emancipation　Proclamation。　The　Presidents　of　the　United　States
are　oath　bond　to　enforce　it；　and　the　license　to　vend　intoxicating　liquors
as　unconstitutional。　Mr。　Roosevelt　is　violating　his　oath　to　allow　this
business　to　continue。　He　has　the　same　right　and　more　cause　than　Abraham
Lincoln　to　cancel　every　license；　and　shut　up　every　brewery　and　distillery
in　the　United　States。　God　says；　〃Woe　to　the　crown　of　pride；　to
the　drunkardsYes；　this　thing　at　the　head　of　the　nation　is　cursedLook
at　the　assassinated　Presidents；　since　the　license　was　given　by　the　Republican
Party　in　1863。　Lincoln　refused　to　put　his　name　to　the　bill　at
first；　but　was　over　persuaded　to　do　so　by　those　parties　who　said　it　was
to　pay　a　war　debt；　and　when　that　was　done；　the　license　would　be　revoked；
but　poor；　honest　Abe　Lincoln　was　not　suffered　to　undo　the　wrong　he
was　persuaded　to　commit。　Every　drunkard's　wife　and　drunkard's　mother
and　child　ought　to　bring　suit　against　the　Government；　for　the　durgging；
poisoning　and　murdering　of　their　loved　ones。　A　man　can　recover　if　his
wife's　affections　are　alienated　from　him；　a　person　can　recover　damages
even；　if　he　injures　his　foot　on　a　defective　sidewalkthe　inference　is　clear。

And　now　let　us　look　at　the　Legal　Status　of　Joint　Smashing。　Let
every　lawyer；　judge　and　law…abiding　person　read　carefully　the　following：
Kansas；　true　to　the　doctrines　enunciated　above；　and　loyal　to　the　best
welfare　of　her　populace；　enacted　constitutional　prohibition　forbidding　the
sale　of　ardent　spirits。

Section　14　of　the　Prohibitory　Law　reads：　〃It　shall　be　the　duty　of
all　sheriffs　and　constables；　in　their　respective　counties　and　townships；　to
file　complaints　and　make　arrests　for　violation　of　this　act；　whenever　they
shall　be　informed　of　the　violation　thereof；　and　any　such　officer　who　shall
neglect　or　refuse　to　file　such　complaint　or　make　such　arrest；　upon　being
informed　of　the　omission　of　such　offense；　shall　be　subject　to　a　fine　not
exceeding　100；　and　his　office　shall　be　vacant：　Providing　that　no　such
officer　shall　in　any　event　be　liable　for　costs　of　such　prosecution。〃　；

Hence；　it　is　not　necessary　that　the　private　citizen　drum　up　evidence；
swear　out　warrants　and　prosecute　liquor　drug…stores　and　joints。　That
is　what　officials　are　elected　and　paid　for　and　if　officers　fail　to　abate
these　liquor　venders；　then　the　duty　devolves　back　on　the　patriotic　citizen。

This　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　State；；　carried
up　from　Vermont；　Spaulding　vs。　Preston；　21　p。　9；　towit：　〃If　any　member
of　the　body　politic　instead　of　putting　his　property　to　honest　uses；
converts　it　into　an　engine　to　injure　the　life；　liberty；　health；　morals；　peace
or　property　of　others；　he　can；　I　apprehend；　sustain　no　action　against　one
who　withholds　or　destroys　his　property　with　the　bona　fide　intention　of
preventing　injury　to　himself　or　others。〃

In　Kansas　every　liquor　selling　place　is　not　only　a　declared　nuisance；
but　a　constitutional　outlaw。　And　in　the　case　from　Pennsylvania
where　a　private　individual　had　abated　a　nuisance；　the　court　held：　〃We
consider　it　also　well　settled；　as　is　claimed　by　this　defendant；　that　a　common
nuisance　may　be　removed；　or；　in　legal　language；　abated　by　any　individual。
Any　man；　says　Lord　Hale；　may　justify　the　removal　of　a　common
nuisance；　either　by　land　or　by　Nyater；　because　every　man　is　concerned　in
it。〃

It　is　not　only　the　privilege　of　the　patriotic　citizen　to　abate　a　dangerous
nuisance　but　it　is　commendable。　Bishop　on　Criminal　Law；　paragraph
1081；　says：　〃This　doctrine　（of　abatement　of　a　public　nuisance　by　an
individual）　is　an　expression　of　the　better　instincts　of　our　natures；　which
lead　men　to　watch　over　and　shield　one　another　from　harm。〃

〃The　buildings；　premises　and　paraphernalia　of　a　nuisance　are　not
legitimate　property　and　have　no　rights　in　law。　Damages　cannot　be　recovered
for　their　destruction　by　an　individual。　The　question　of　malice　does
not　enter　into　the　case　at　all。〃

I　Bishop's　Criminal　Law　828；　I　Hilliard　on　Torts；　605。

〃At　common　law　it　was　always　the　right　of　a　citizen；　without　official
authority；　to　abate　a　public　nuisance；　and　without　waiting　to　have　it
adjudged　such　by　legal　tribunal。　His　right　to　do　so　depended　upon　the
fact　of　its　being　a　nuisance。　If　be　assumed　to　act　upon　his　own　adjudication
that　it　was；　and　such　adjudication　was　afterwards　shown　to　be
wrong；　he　was　liable　as　a　wrong…doer　for　his　error；　and　appropriate　damages
could　be　recovered　against　him。　This　common　law　right　still　exists
in　full　force。　Any　citizen；　acting　either　as　an　individual　or　as　a　public
official　under　the　orders　of　local　or　municipal　authorities；　whether　such
orders　be　or　be　not　in　pursuance　of　special　legislation　or　charter　provisions；
may　abate　what　the　common　law　deemed　a　public　nuisance。　In
abating　it；　property　may　be　destroyed；　and　the　owner　deprived　of　it
without　trial；　without　notice　and　without　compensation。　Such　destruction
for　public　safety　or　health　is　not　a　taking　of　private　property　for
public　uses　without　compensation；　or　due　process　of　law；　in　the　sense
of　the　constitution。　It　is　simply　the　prevention　of　its　noxious　and　unlawful
use；　and　depends　upon　the　principle　that　every　man　must　so　use　his
property　as　not　to　injure　his　neighbors；　and　that　the　safety　of　the　public
is　the　paramount　law。　These　principles　are　legal　maxims　or　axioms
essential　to　the　existence　of　regulated　society。　Written　constitutions
presuppose　them；　are　subordinate　to　them；　and　cannot　set　them　aside。〃

These　great　principles　of　civil　jurisprudence　and　popular　government
apply　alike　in　every　state　in　the　Union。　An　eminent　jurist；　Judge
James　Baker；　of　Evanston；　Ill。；　formerly　a　resident　of　Missouri；　gives
his　professional　opinion　of　the　late　crusading　by　the　women　there。　He
maintains　that　it　was　legal；　he　points　out　that　the　saloons　raided；　at
Denver　and　Lathrop；　were　unlawful　and　that　they　were　〃nuisances　at
common　law。〃　He　quotes　Illinois　law　as　follows：　〃As　the　summary
abatement　of　nuisances　is　a　remedy　which　has　ever　existed　in　the　law；
its　exercise　cannot　be　regarded　as　in　conflict　with　constitutional　provisions
for　the　protection　of　the　rights　of　private　property　and　giving
trial　by　jury。　Formal　legal　proceedings　and　trial　by　jury　are　not　appropriate
and　have　never　been　used　in　such　cases。〃　Judge　Baker　sums　up
the　case　thus：　〃The　women　who　destroyed　such　property　are　not　criminals。
They　have　the　same　right　to　abate　such　common　nuisances　as　men
have　to　defend　their　persons　or　domiciles　when　unlawfully　assailed。　As
the　women　of　that　state　are　denied　the　right　to　vote　or　hold　office；　I
think　they　are　fully　justified；　morally　and　legally；　in　protecting　their
homes；
their　families；　and　themselves　from　the　ravages　of　these　demons　of　vice
in　the　summary　manner　which　the　law　permits。〃

More　citations　might　be　given　proving　the　legality　of　joint　smashing
by　the　crusaders；　but　the　foregoing　is　ample；　for　all　fairminded；　loyal
people。　Had　the　joint　smasher's　cases　been　tried　on　their　merits；　not　one
would　have　been　convicted　of　a　misdemeaner。　They　were　arrested；　tried；
convicted；　imprisoned　and　fined　for　disturbing　the　〃peace〃　of　a　common
nuisance；　and　〃malicious〃　destruction　of　rebel　paraphernalia。　Their　only
intent　was　against　the　treasonable　liquor　traffic。　Had　there　been　no　liquor
dispensing　there　had　been　no　smashing。　This　the　liquorized　courts　would
not　admit　for　a　moment。　Every　ruling　was　a　burlesque　on　civil　law；　a
travesty　on　justice　and　a　contemptible　farce。　The　whole　proceedings
from　beginning　to　end　were　a　miserable　outrage。


DECAY　AND　DECLINE　OF　THE　AMERICAN　REPUBLIC。


Today　the　country　is　ringing　with　the　cry　of　political　bribery；　boodle
and　official　corruption；　from　the　highest　to　the　lowest。　The　rum　traffic
is　the　principal　factor　in　demoralizing　and　destroying　the　dignity；　honor
and　integrity　of　civic　life。　It　is　the　insidious　foe　that　is　hatching　and
nursing　crime。　Startling　complication　of　statistics；　obtained　from　the
replies　of　over　1；000　prison　governors　in