the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第50章

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to　marvelously　stir　up　the　officers　of　the　law；　our　legislature；　and
public　sentiment　all　over　the　State。　Mrs。　Nation　was　let　out　of　jail　on
the　bond　signed　by　Rev。　J。　B。　McAfee；　an　esteemed　member　of　my
congregation　here。　Her　bond　now　is　a　bond　to　keep　the　peace；　and　her
smashing　is　at　an　end。

The　times　were　ripe　for　just　such　a　movement。　The　people　of　Kansas；
through　the　indifference　and　neglect　of　her　officers　of　the　law；　saw
the　jointists　getting　bolder　every　day；　having　their　fines　paid　by　the
breweries　and　distilleries　of　other　States；　until　they　started　in　to　give
the　State　〃open〃　saloons；　with　all　the　brazen　ways　in　the　East；　Then
Mrs。　Nation　came。　Everything　was　ripe　for　a　reaction　against　all　this。
The　coming　of　this　woman　was　simply　the　lighting　of　the　match　which
set　off　a　temperance　pyrotechnic　display　which　has　lighted　up　the　temperance
horizon　all　over　the　Union；　and　has　created　an　unparalleled
degree　of　temperance　sentiment　and　activity。　The　writer　has　had　Mrs。
Nation　at　his　table；　has　discussed　with　her　her　ideas；　has　differed
with　her　as　to　the　final　utility　of　the　〃hatchet〃　as　a　cure　for　the　disease；
has　one　of　the　hundred　of　hatchets　and　axes　sent　her　from　all　over　the
country；　this　a　fierce　broad…axe　sent　her　from　Hartsel；　Col。；　and　which
he　keeps　as　a　souvenir；　has　investigated　the　charges　as　to　her　sanity；
finds　her　entirely　sane；　though　possibly　somewhat　of　a　crank　because
of　her　ultraradical　methods　in　furthering　reform　against　strong　drink；
tobacco；　and　other　social　evils；　yet　he　feels　that　the　temperance　cause；
despite　all　her　faults；　has　much　for　which　to　thank　Mrs。　Nation。　It
needed　just　such　severe　movements　to　arouse　the　easy…going　masses
of　our　State；　and　awaken　public　sentiment　along　these　lines；　and　Mrs。
Nation　was　the　〃John　Brown〃　for　the　movement。

The　movement　in　the　city　of　Topeka；　a　city　of　35；000　population；
brought　out　a　meeting　of　3；000　men　who　demanded　that　liquors　no　longer
be　sold　contrary　to　law；　and　that　all　joint　fixtures　be　removed　or　they
would　be　smashed。　This　was　promptly　done。　It　was　a　grand　sight　to
see　a　dozen　men　carry　down；　from　upstairs　back　rooms；　long　bars　to
be　stored　or　sent　out　of　the　city。　What　brought　them　down？　Public
sentiment；　the　education　resulting　from　twenty　years　of　constitutional
prohibition。　To…day　the　city　of　Topeka　is　absolutely　free　from　joints；
as　far　as　the　writer　can　see。　Of　course；　liquor　can　be　bought　secretly；
and　always　will　be；　but　our　boys　do　not　know　where　it　can　be　bought。
You　might　as　well　try　to　absolutely　bind　the　devil　as　to　absolutely　bind
the　liquor　traffic　in　one　State　with　all　the　brewers　and　distillers　in　a
dozen　surrounding　States　seeking　with　determined　and　cunning　methods
to　extend　their　business　within　its　borders。

It　is　like　heaven　to　live　in　a　city　where　there　are　no　open　saloons。
There　are　thousands　of　public　school　children　here；　now　nearly　of　age；
who　have　never　seen　here　a　beer…wagon　or　a　beer…keg！　Recently　a　child
who　had　never　been　out　of　the　State；　on　going　to　Kansas　City；　Mo。；
looked　out　of　the　car　window　and　saw　a　sign　on　a　building；　and　spelled；
〃S…a…l…o…o…n；　saloon；〃　and　then　exclaimed；　〃Mamma；　what　is　that？〃
There　is　no　better　city　in　the　world　in　which　to　bring　up　a　family　of
boys　than　Topeka；　and　many　fine　eastern　families　are　coming　here　for
that　very　reason。　It　amuses　me　to　see　the　comments　made　on　Kansas
in　the　East。　To　some　it　is　truly；　〃The　wild　and　woolly　West。〃　One
pastor　writes：　〃Is　it　safe　for　the　next　General　Synod　to　go　out　there？〃
Let　me　tell　your　readers　just　two　or　three　things　about　Kansas。　Her
educational　exhibit　at　the　Chicago　World's　Fair　took　the　highest　prize；
her　per　cent　of　illiteracy　is　the　lowest　of　all　the　States　of　the　Union；
her　regiment；　the　21st　of　Kansas；　was　the　only　regiment　of　the　65；000　men
at　Chickamauga　Park　during　the　late　war　with　Spain　in　which　every
man　could　write　his　own　name　on　the　muster　roll；　and　this　same　regiment
voted　unanimously　not　to　have　the　infamous　〃canteen〃　in　their
regiment；　and　they　would　not　have　it。　This　is　the　result　of　the　influence
of　twenty　years　of　constitutional　prohibition。　Topeka　has　far　better
paved　streets　and　more　of　them　than　most　other　cities　of　its　size　in　the
United　States；　its　sidewalks　are　all　brick；　and　this　without　a　dollar　coming
from　bleeding　the　saloon　in　the　shape　of　a　license！　Prosperity　without
the　saloon　is　seen　on　every　hand。　True；　some　people　stay　away　from
Kansas　because　of　its　stringent　liquor　laws。　That；　however；　largely
accounts　for　the　general　intelligence　here。　Let　them　stay　away。　The
West　is　all　right　educationally　and　morally。　Your　readers　may　not
know　it；　but　the　State　which　has　the　largest　per　cent　of　her　population
in　her　colleges　is　a　western　State。

The　influence　of　the　Nation　crusade　has　spread　all　over　our　State；
and　as　a　result　the　joints　have　been　suppressed　on　all　sides。　Our　legislature；
just　adjourned；　gave　us　the　most　drastic　legislation　against　the
liquor　business　in　her　history；　and　with　tremendous　majorities。　The
result　of　the　movement　started　by　this　brave　woman；　who　is　roundly
condemned　in　the　East；　is　best　summed　up　in　the　words　of　a　Kansas
wholesale　liquor　dealer；　who　said　recently；　〃A　few　weeks　ago　we　had　a
very　fine　trade　in　Kansas；　shipping　out　many　car…loads　of　liquor；　but
just　now　they　are　coming　back　as　fast　as　they　went　out。〃　Our　city；
Topeka；　has　had　considerable　notoriety　all　over　the　country　as　the　center
of　the　Nation　temperance　crusade；　and　because　of　the　presence　of　Mrs。
Nation。　However；　we　think　your　readers　will　quite　agree　with　us　when
we　say　their　eastern　cities　could　well　afford　such　notoriety　if　thereby
they　could　be　rid　of　their　debauching　and　terribly　corrupting　saloons。
Pastor；　Topeka；　Kansas。

　TRIBUTE　TO　MRS。　NATION。CORRESPONDENT　OF　THE　STATE　JOURNAL　GROWS

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ELOQUENT　ABOUT　HER。


A　correspondent　of　the　State　Journal　who　is　evidently　an　admirer　of
Mrs。　Nation　has　written　the　following　tribute　the　famous　smasher　of
joints：

〃Carry　A。　Nation；　prophetess　of　God　and　prohibition；　came　suddenly
like　the　furious　driving　Jehu。　Her　cyclonic　joint　smashing　shook
the　rum　power　of　the　United　States　from　apex　to　foundation…stone。
The　great　American　god　Bacchus　turned　pale　on　his　throne。　Gambrinus
and　his　thirty　thousand　white…aproned　priests　of　debauchery　and　licentiousness
trembled　in　every　saloon　and　bagnio　throughout　the　union。
No　whirlwind；　tornado　or　simoon　of　the　desert　ever　startled　a　nation
as　her　volcanic　career。　From　ocean　to　ocean；　from　Canada　to　Texas。
she　faced　a　storm　of　relentless　criticism　and　bitter　sarcasm　from　political
curs；　clerical　hirelings　and　editorial　henchmen　of　the　murderous　liquor
traffic　such　as　no　mortal　ever　faced　before。　A　star　of　hope　to　the　one
hundred　thousand　despairing　drunkards；　already　in　the　death…grasp　of
this　licensed　Moloch　of　perdition；　volunteer　liberator　of　the　hundreds
of　thousands　of　hapless　slaves　of　this　greater　〃curse　of　curses〃　and
more　than　〃sum　of　all　villainies；〃　precursor　of　emancipation　of　the
millions　of　sad…faced　women　and　children　whose　lives　are　blasted　and
crushed　beneath　the　wheels　of　this　cruel　Car　of　juggernaut；　betrayed　by
false　friends；　imprisoned　by　the　courts；　and　manacled；　no　martyr　of　old
ever　ran　the　gauntlet　of　hotter　persecution；　yet　like　Banquo's　Ghost　and
the　Man　of　Galilee　she　will　not　down。　Denounce　her　as　you　may；　she
is　such　an　one　as　heroines　and　world…wide　characters　are　made　of。
Every　one　will　want　a　copy　of　her　〃Life；〃　forthcoming　publication。
The　boys　and　girls　will　find　the　Old　Kentucky　Home　plantation　scenes；
interesting　as　Uncle　Tom's　Cabin　and　well　worth　the　price　of　the　book。
The　pictures　and　portraits　of　the　noted　Smasher　of　joints　are　more　than
worth　the　nominal　sum。　To　every　citizen；　student　and　philanthropist
the　legal　citations　for　reference　are　worth　it。　No　temperance　person
or　prohibitionist　can　afford　to　be　without　a　copy。RAY　RAND。

WORDS　PROPHETIC。

The　liquor　traffic　will　never　see　another　hour　of　peace　in　this
country。　Mrs。　Carrie　Nation　has　sounded　the　alarm。　There's　a　growing
hatred　of　the　saloon。　The　speaker　has　sworn　hostility　to　an
institution　th