the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第57章

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with　sin　of　every　kind；　and　our　lives　also。

The　Wichita　Eagle　Reporter；　uttered　a　profound　truth；　whether　he
intended　to　or　not；　when　he　said；　we　walked　into　the　Court　Room　like　a
poem；　a　sort　of　a　'Lead　Kindly　Light'　poem；　for　we　were　lead　of　God；
who　is　the　Light　of　the　world。　And　we　intend　to　follow　on　until　this
vision　is　fully　realized。〃

Yours　for　God's　love　for　Him　and　suffering　humanity；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MRS。　LUCY　WILHOITE。


I　had　dates　ahead　that　I　disliked　to　cancel；　because　of　disappointing
the　people　and　entailing　a　great　financial　sacrifice。　Sister　Lydia　Muntz；
also　wrote　me　to　come　to　Wichita　immediately。　I　knew　it　meant　smashing
and　imprisonment；　possibly；　loss　of　life；　for　I　wrote　Sister　Wilhoite；　〃I
am　coming　to　do　all　I　can　to　destroy　the　works　of　the　devil；　and　if　need
be　to　die。〃　At　first；　I　told　her　to　keep　things　quiet。　Then　I　thought　it
best　to　give　all　an　opportunity　to　have　a　part　in　this　great　work　of　saving
life　here　and　hereafter；　so　I　wrote　a　letter　to　the　Topeka　Journal　making
a　call　for　helpers　setting　Sept。　28　as　the　day。　When　I　arrived　in　Topeka
I　learned　that　the　W。　C。　T。　U　would　be　in　convention　session　on　that　day
in　Wichita；　and　also　that　there　was　a　carnival　going　on　in　the　place；　and
thought　it　providential　to　have　a　crowd。　I　arrived　in　Wichita　the　28th；
the　raid　was　postponed　until　the　29th。　I　took　hatchets　with　me　and　we
also　supplied　ourselves　with　rocks；　meeting　at　the　M。　E。　church；　where
the　W。　C。　T。　U。　Convention　was　being　held。　I　announced　to　them　what
we　intended　doing　and　asked　them　to　join　us。　Sister　Lucy　Wilhoite；
Myra　McHenry；　Miss　Lydia　Muntz；　and　Miss　Blanch　Boies；　started　for
Mahan's　wholesale　liquor　store。　Three　men　were　on　the　watch　for　us；
we　asked　to　go　in　to　hold　gospel　services　as　was　our　intention　before
destroying　this　den　of　vice；　for　we　wanted　God　to　save　their　souls；　and　to
give　us　ability　and　opportunity　to　destroy　this　soul　damning　business。
They　refused　to　let　us　come　near　the　door。　I　said；　〃Women；　we　will　have
to　use　our　hatchets；〃　with　this　I　threw　a　rock　through　the　front；　then　we
were　all　seized；　and　a　call　for　the　police　was　made。　There　was　of　course；
a　big　crowd。　Mrs。　Myra　McHenry　was　in　the　hands　of　a　ruffian　who
shook　her　almost　to　pieces。　One　raised　a　piece　of　gas　pipe　to　strike　her；
but　was　prevented　from　doing　so。　We　were　hustled　into　the　hoodlum
wagon；　and　driven　through　the　streets　amid　the　yells；　execrations　and
grimaces　of　the　liquor　element。　I　watched　their　faces　and　could　see　that
Satan　was　roused　in　them　beyond　their　control；　making　the　most　diabolical
faces　sticking　out　their　tongues！　at　what？　Just　five　women；　who　were
doing　with　their　might　what　their　hands　found　to　do；　〃Just　five　living
hearts　that　dared　to　give　their　lives　to　save　them。　Just　gray…haired　women；
mothers；　and　grandmothers；　who；　for　love　they　could　not　contain；
rushed　in　to　save　their　loved　ones；　from　ruin。

There　never　was　such　a　sight。　Angels　wept　and　devils　yelled　with
diabolical　glee。　We　were　taken　to　Police　Headquarters；　that　is；　four　of
us；　the　Police　had　not　taken　Blanch；　who　dodged　them；　and　with　her　axe
smashed　out　two　windows；　after　which　she　went　to　Sister　Wilhoite's
home；　and　would　not　have　been　arrested　had　she　not　called　to　see　us
next　day；　and　giving　her　name　was　immediately　arrested　and　shut　in　with
us。　Water　was　standing　in　the　low　places　in　the　cell　we　occupied；　caused
by　a　leakage　in　the　pipes；　I　don't　think　this　neglect　was　intentional；　but
it　was　none　the　less　dangerous　as　it　was　below　ground。　The　beds　were
shelves　in　the　wall；　very　hard　of　course；　but　we　might　have　had　some　degree
of　comfort　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　dirt　and　rats　which　seemed　to
delight　in　having　some　one　to　run　around　and　over。　It　was　so　ordered
that　there　was　a　bible　in　the　crowd；　and　as　we　were　not　in　stocks　we　had
far　more　to　rejoice　over　than　Paul　and　Silas；　holding　a　continuous　praise
and　prayer　service；　reading　and　repeating　the　word　of　God。　We　were
kept　there　from　Friday　till　Monday　morning　without　a　charge　against
us。　Sunday　morning　we　squeezed　the　juice　out　of　some　grapes；　some　kind
friends　had　sent　us；　and　reading　for　our　lesson　where　Jesus　washed　the
disciples　feet　and　partook　of　the　sacrament；　sister　McHenry　sprang　to
her　feet　after　partaking　of　the　emblems；　said　she　saw　the　most　beautiful
cross　on　the　wall；　surrounded　by　a　divine　halo；　exclaiming；　〃Now　I　know
what　it　is　to　have　a　vision；　I　thought　it　might　be　imagination。〃　We　had
quite　a　time　one　way　and　another。　Our　friends　were　not　permitted　to
come　into　the　jail　or　even　to　the　door；　so　many　of　them　came　to　the　railing
on　the　outside；　where　some　of　the　officials　threw　water　on　them　from
the　upper　windows　to　keep　them　away。　We　were　taken　to　the　county
jail　on　Monday　and　had　a　trial　for　malicious　mischief　on　Wednesday。
We　plead　our　own　cases；　and　never　in　the　history　of　the　world　did　a　nation
or　people　see　mothers　tried　for　trying　to　save　their　loved　ones　from
the　slaughter　of　a　government　whose　business　is　to　protect　women　and
their　children。　Tears　were　in　the　eyes　of　many　when　sister　Lucy　Wilhoite
and　sister　McHenry　told　of　their　boys　being　led　into　vice　by　the
officials　of　Wichita。　Poor　degraded　Wichita　with　her　corrupt　officials　and
that　vile　〃Wichita　Eagle；〃　and　its　Murdocks。　But　God　has　a　people　there
and　they　will　be　victors　in　this　fight。　We　were　convicted　of　course；　I　got
thirty　days　in　jail　and　150；　the　rest　150；　except　sister　Muntz　who　only
got　50。　We　employed　Judge　Ray　to　take　our　cases　to　the　District　Court。
At　the　present　writing　I　am　out　on　bail　and　so　far　as　the　jail　is　concerned；
I　do　not　dread　it。　God　will　liberate　some　when　I　am　in　bonds。　Poor
women；　Poor　Mothers。　God　who　〃tempers　the　wind　to　the　shorn　lamb〃
will　come　to　her　relief　from　a　degradation　worse　than　death。


　　　　　　　　　　AFTER　TRIAL　IN　THE　DISTRICT　COURT。

I　am　out　on　parole　under　a　jail　sentence　of　four　months　and　a　fine
of　250。00。　This　man　Wilson　who　is　in　the　place　of　a　judge　knows　that
it　is　a　lawless　outrage；　but　true　to　his　party　or　trust　he　stands　by　the
combine　for　as　long　as　the　Republican　Liquor　Power　controls　office　motherhood
is　sacrificed　to　the　greed　of　this　boa　constrictor　that　coils　its　huge
body　crushing　out　the　life　and　soul　of　man；　woman　and　child。

If　Roosevelt　had　a　sincere　interest　in　increasing　the　population　by
urging　women　to　bear　children　he　would　say　something　about　what　makes
it　a　terror　to　do　so。



CHAPTER　XXV。

CLOSING　REMARKS　WITH　PLANS　FOR　THE　FUTUREPROHIBITION　CLEARLY
DEFINED。


At　the　close　of　writing　this　book；　I　am　in　Oklahoma　organizing　Prohibition
Federations。　I　am　now　nearly　60　years　of　age；　I　find　it　necessary
to　reserve　my　strength　as　much　as　possible　in　order　to　put　to　the
best　use　my　remaining　years　of　service。　I　expect　to　remain　in　Oklahoma
until　the　constitution　is　made；　the　field　is　ripe　for　action；　we　want　the
constitution　to　be　an　ideal　one。

The　Federation　will　not　have　as　a　member；　any　one　voting　in　a　license
partyAnhauser　Busch　will　effect　prohibition　as　soonWe　will　not　waste
time　and　money　in　fighting　Brewers　and　Distillers　but　the　cause　of　them。
We　want　to　prohibit　the　tyranny　and　unlawfulness　in　preventing　woman
from　a　voice　in　the　Government；　Compulsory　education；　no　games　on
Lord's　Day；　no　profanity　on　the　highways。

There　are　good；　loyal　prohibitionists　in　the　Anti…Saloon　League；　but
those　who　control　it　are　generally　there　for　the　salary。　Being　usually
Republicans
who　by　their　ballot　prove　themselves　to　be　the　strongest　advocates
for　license；　they　are　hindering　the　true　principle　of　prohibition。
Their　votes　combine　to　perpetuate　the　saloon。

The　great　thing　to　be　accomplished　is　to　elect　a　Prohibition　President；
as　long　as　we　have　one　in　favor　of　license　it　is　useless　to　expect
prohibition　by　the　government。　The　Anti…Saloon　League　tacitly　effects
the　perpetuation　of　a　license　government　and　in　that　they　have　been　traitors；
we　warn　the　people　against　them。　If　anyone　is　a　real　prohibitionist
they　will　vote　it。　The　Prohibition　Party　is　really　the　only　party　that　is
loyal　to　Republican　principles；　protecting　and　saving　the　home　from　this