the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第53章

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policeman　was　watching　his　chance　to　arrest　me。　He　came　up　and　said：
〃You　will　have　to　stop　that。〃　I　said：　〃I　am　making　no　trouble；　I　have
a　right　to　meet　people　and　talk　to　them　and　show　my　souvenirs　too。　You
are　the　only　one；　making　a　disturbance　here。　Two　policemen　came　up
and　caught　me　one　by　each　arm；　dragging　me　through　the　depot　and
down　the　elevator；　and　I　was　carried　to　the　police　station　in　a　〃black
maria〃。　This　was　done　for　spite　and　to　show　his　authority。　I　spent　a
night　in　prison；　and　next　morning　I　was　fined　ten　dollars。　I　was　my　own
lawyer。　The　magistrate　before　whom　I　was　tried　would　not　compel　the
officer　to　answer　the　questions　I　asked　him。

In　a　few　days　I　returned　to　Pittsburg　and　was　invited　by　the　Providence
Mission　to　go　out　on　the　streets。　Quite　a　crowd　gathered　and
while　I　was　speaking；　I　was　arrested　again　by　an　officer　who　refused　to
tell　me　what　I　was　arrested　for。　I　was　taken　to　the　police　headquarters。
The　kind　hearted　matron　wanted　to　give　me　a　pillow　and　some　bedding
for　I　had　nothing　but　a　hard　board　in　the　cell。　The　Chief　of　Police　forbade
the　matron　to　give　me　anything　to　make　myself　comfortable。　He
said：　〃That　woman　is　giving　us　a　great　deal　of　trouble　and　we　want
to　get　rid　of　her。〃　The　matron　came　to　me　when　no　one　was　looking
and　advised　me　to　give　a　bond　of　thirteen　dollars　and　get　out　so　that　I
might　have　a　bed。　I　did　this　and　went　to　my　boarding　house。　I　secured
the　services　of　a　lawyer；　Mr。　Buckley。　I　was　fined　ten　dollars　which　was
afterwards　remitted。　This　republican；　rum…soaked　police　force　make　it
a　point　to　arrest　me　on　every　pretext。　They　have　told　me　that　if　I　win
they　will　lose　their　jobs。　Eighteen　months　before　this　I　had　been　put　in
jail　at　Pittsburg；　making　three　times　all　for　doing　my　duty　in　that　city。



CHAPTER　XX。

WHY　I　WENT　ON　THE　STAGE。THE　VICE　OF　TOBACCO。


I　got　hundreds　of　calls　to　go　on　the　stage　before　I　did。　Gradually
I　got　the　light。

This　is　the　largest　missionary　field　in　the　world。　No　one　ever　got
a　call　or　was　ever　allowed　to　go　there　with　a　Bible　but　Carry　Nation。
That　door　never　was　opened　to　any　one　but　me。　The　hatchet　opened　it。
God　has　given　it　to　me。　My　managers　have　said：　〃This　is　a　variety
house　at；　Watsons　and　the　Unique；　of　Brooklyn；　or　the　Boston　on　the
Bowery。　You　do　not　wish　to　go　there。〃　Yes；　those　need　me　more　than
the　rest；　never　refuse　a　call　even　from　the　lowest。　If　Jesus　ate　with
publicans　and　sinners　I　can　talk　to　them。　Francis　Willard　said　the　pulpit
and　stage　must　be　taken　for　God。

Persons　often　say：　〃Why　do　you　take　the　money　of　such？〃　I　say
〃I　can　do　more　good　with　the　money　than　they　can。〃　After　the　battle
the　victor　takes　the　spoils　and　is　entitled　to　them。　I　will　take　all　I　can
get　in　a　good　way。　Money　is　a　blessing；　if　used　as　such。　I　go　on　the
stage　to　do　good；　I　take　their　money　for　the　same　reason。　The　curse　of
it　is　when　it　is　desired　above　the　good　of　humanity。　I　am　fishing。　I　go
where　the　fish　are　for　they　do　not　come　to　me。　I　thank　God　for　this
unspeakable　gift。　I　take　my　Bible　before　every　audience。　I　show　them
this　hatchet；　that　destroys　or　smashes　everything　bad　and　builds　up　everything
that　is　good。　I　tell　them　of　their　loving　Deliverer　who　came　to
break　every　yoke　and　set　the　Captive　free。　When　I　look　upon　the　hundreds
of　faces　before　me；　I　say：　〃Oh；　these　poor　aching　hearts！　God
give　me　a　loving　message。〃　Words　can　not　tell　of　the　love　I　would　like
to　bestow　upon　them。　I　often　weep。　〃Oh；　Jerusalem；　Jerusalem；　how　oft
would　I　have　gathered　you　as　a　hen　gathereth　her　chickens　under　her
wings。〃　Then　I　say：　〃There　is　one　that　loves　more　than　you。　He　can
make　all　things　right。〃

There　are　but　a　handful　comparatively　that　try　to　obey　the　commands
of　Jesus：　〃A　remnant　shall　be　saved。〃　Caleb　and　Joshua　were　only　two
in　six　hundred　thousand　but　they　alone　of　this　great　multitude　lived　to
see　and　inherit　the　promised　land。　Christ　said。　〃Go　out　into　the　highways
and　hedges　and　compel　them　to　come　in　that　my　home　may　be　full。〃
Where　are　the　highways　and　hedges：　They　are　places　where　men　and
women　are　the　most　lost。　How　can　they　be　compelled　to　come　in？　Love
is　the　only　compelling　influence。　If　no　one　goes　with　love；　how　are　these
lost　ones　to　know　they　are　loved。　Christ　brought　love　down　to　us；　He
came　down　to　do　it。　We　must　take　His　love　to　the　low　places〃Condescend
to　men　of　low　estate。〃　I　praise　my　God　for　opening　a　door　to
me　never　opened　to　anyone　else。　I　find　the　theatre　stocked　with　boys
of　our　country。　They　are　not　found　in　churches。　I　have　not　sought　to
get　into　the　so…called　〃respectable　set〃　but　I　have　told　my　managers　to
get　me　into　the　worst　class。　They　need　me　most。　They　are　as　brands
snatched　from　the　burning。

I　am　not　only　a　reformer　on　the　line　of　the　licensed　or　unlicensed
saloon；　but　on　other　evils。　I　believe　that；　on　the　whole；　tobacco　has　done
more　harm　than　intoxicating　drinks。　The　tobacco　habit　is　followed　by
thirst　for　drink。　The　face　of　the　smoker　has　lost　the　scintillations　of
intellect　and　soul　it　would　have　had　if　not　marred　by　this　vice。　The　odor
of　his　person　is　vile；　his　blood　is　poisoned；　his　intellect　is　dulled。

A　smoker　is　never　a　healthy　man；　either　in　body　or　mind；　for　nicotine
is　a　poison。　Prussic　acid　is　the　only　poison　that　is　worse。　Nicotine
poisons　the　blood；　dulls　the　brain；　and　is　the　cause　of　disease。　The　lungs
of　the　tobacco　user　are　black　from　poison；　his　heart　action　is　weak；　and
the　worst　thing　to　contemplate　in　the　whole　matter　is　that　these　tobacco
users　transmit　nervous　diseases；　epilepsy；　weakened　constitutions；　depraved
appetites　and　deformities　of　all　kinds　to　their　offspring。

Deterioration　of　the　race　is　upon　us；　and　unless　there　is　some　reform；
idiocy；　imbecility　and　extinction　will　be　the　legacy　of　the　future
generations。

A　man　that　uses　tobacco　cannot　have　the　nice　moral　perceptions　on
any　point　that　he　should　have。　I　find　him　to　be　dulled　and　sluggish。　The
Bible　says：　〃If　thine　eye　be　single；　thy　whole　body　is　full　of　light。　If
thine　eye　be　evil；　thy　whole　body　is　full　of　darkness。〃　The　use　of　tobacco
is　a　vice；　and　to　the　extent　of　that　one　vice；　it　degrades　a　mail。　It　opens
the　gate　for　other　vices；　for　it　is　the　gratification　for　one　form　of　lust。
It　is　a　filthy　habit；　and　I　care　not　how　often　the　smoker　changes　his
clothes　or　washes　his　person；　he　is　filthy。　The　stench　from　his　breath
indicates　that　his　body　repudiates　such　uncleanliness。

The　tobacco　user　can　never　be　the　father　of　a　healthy　child。　Therefore
he　is　dangerous　for　a　woman　to　have　as　a　husband。　If　I　were　a
young　woman；　I　would　say　to　the　men　who　use　tobacco　and　who　would
wish　to　converse　with　me：　〃Use　the　telephone；　come　no　closer！〃　I
would　as　soon　kiss　a　spittoon　as　to　kiss　such　a　mouth。　When　a　man
begins　to　smoke　he　is　taking　his　first　lessons　in　drink。　The　two　habits
travel　together。

A　man　never　can　attain　his　majority　and　use　tobacco。　He　never　can
realize　his　full　capabilities　or　his　possibilities。　He　can　always　attain　to　a
better　standard　without　nicotine。

There　is　one　objection　that；　from　a　business　standpoint；　every　business
man　ought　to　make　to　tobacco。　When　he　employs　a　man　that　uses
tobacco　he　gets　only　a　certain　per　cent。　of　his　employee's　time　and　of　his
brain；　because　the　employee　must　serve　his　tobacco　master　part　of　his
time　and　when　he　is　not　smoking　his　mind　is　preoccupied　because　he　is
thinking　of　smoking。　Consequently；　he　cannot　concentrate　his　mind　upon
his　business。

I　have　heard　poor；　silly；　empty…headed　women　say　that　it　is　manly
to　smoke。　If　it　is　manly　to　smoke；　why　isn't　it　womanly　to　smoke？　The
tobacco　habit　is　the　reverse　of　manhood　and　destroys　manhood；　for　manhood
means　strength　of　character；　not　the　gratification　of　lust。

If　tobacco　is　good　for　men；　it　is　also　good　for　women。　I　do　not
suppose　that　one　could　find　a　man　so　low　and　degraded　as　to　walk　down
the　street　with　a　woman　who　had　a　cigarette　or　cigar　in　her　mouth。
Women　should　make　the　same　standard　for　men　that　men　do　for　women。
Many　women　would　smoke　in　public　if　men　did　not　denounce　it。　MEN
WOULD　QUIT　SMOKING　IN　PUBLIC　IF　WOMEN　DENOUNCED
IT　AS　MUCH。

I　have　heard　some　wo