the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第21部分

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knew　little　about　the　tricks　of　lawyers；　and　the　unfair　rulings　of　judges。

I　will　here　speak　of　the　attitude　of　some　of　the　W。　C。　T。　U。　concerning
the　smashing。　Most　of　this　grand　body　of　grand　women　endorsed
me　from　the　first。　A　few　weeks　after　the　Kiowa　raid；　I　held　a　convention
in　Medicine　Lodge。　I　got　letters　from　various　W。　C。　T。　U。　workers
of　the　state　that　they　would　hold　my　convention　for　me。　I　said：　〃No；
I　will　hold　my　own　convention。〃

Up　to　this　time；　no　one　had　ever　offered　to　hold　my　convention；
and　I　fully　understood；　although　I　did　not　say　anything；　that　the　W。　C。
T。　U。　did　not　want　it　to　go　out　that　they　endorsed　me　in　my　work　at
Kiowa。　The　state　president　came　to　my　home　the　first　day　of　the　convention。
I　believe　this　was　done；　thinking　I　would　ask　her　to　preside　at
the　meeting；　or　convention。　I　was　glad　to　see　her　and　asked　her　to　conduct
a　parliamentary　drill。　She　came　to　me　privately　and　asked　me　to
state　to　the　convention　that　the　W。　C。　T。　U。　knew　nothing　about　the
smashing　at　Kiowa　and　was　not　responsible　for　this　act　of　mine。　I　did
so；　saying　the　〃honor　of　smashing　the　saloons　at　Kiowa　would　have　to
be　ascribed　to　myself　alone；　as　the　W。　C。　T。　U。　did　not　wish　any　of　it。　So
far　as　Sister　Hutchinson；　who　is；　and　has　been　the　president　for　some　time；
is　concerned；　I　believe　her　to　be　a　conscientious　woman；　and　whose　heart
is　in　the　right　place。　She　and　I　have　been　the　best　of　friends　and　love
each　other；　and　she　has　often　defended　me　and　spoken　well　of　my　work。
But　I　think　the　W。　C。　T。　U。　would　be　much　more　effective　under　her
management；　if　she　had　understood　that　Stanley；　the　republican　governor；
wished　to　handicap　her　in　her　prohibition　work　when　he　appointed
her　husband　as　physician　in　the　reformatory　at　Hutchinson；　Kansas。　Be
it　said　to　the　credit　of　this　christian　physician　he　never　used　alcohol　in
his　practice。　And　perhaps　other　bearings　have　prevented　her　from　seeing
that　the　republican　pressure　has　injured　our　work　more　than　anything
else　in　Kansas。　Many　of　the　wives　of　these　political　wire…pullers
are　prominent　in　the　Union。　A　W。　C。　T。　U。　must　of　necessity　be　a
prohibitionist；
for　her　pledge　is　a　prohibition　pledge；　not　a　temperance　one。

The　Free　Methodists；　although　few　in　number；　and　considered　a　church
of　but　small　influence；　have　been　a　great　power　in　reform。　They　were
the　abolitionists　of　negro　slavery　to　a　man；　and　now　they　are　the
abolitionists　of　the　liquor　curse　to　a　man。　They　were　also　my　friends
in　this　smashing。　Father　Wright　and　Bro。　Atwood　were　at　the　convention
I　speak　of。　Father　Wright；　who　has　been　an　old　soldier　for　the
defence　of　Truth　for　many　years　said　to　me：　〃Never　mind；　Sister　Nation；
when　they　see　the　way　the　cat　jumps；　you　will　have　plenty　of　friends。〃
The　ministers　were　also　my　friends　and　approved　of　the　smashing。　Bro。
McClain；　of　the　Christian　church；　was　at　the　convention；　and　he　was
trying　to　apologize　for　the　smashing　and　defend　me　at　the　same　time；
he　said：　〃We　all　make　mistakes　and　crooked　paths；　and　Sister　Nation
we　all　know；　tries　to　do　right；　and　even　if　she　did　some　crooked　things；
all　the　rest　of　us　do　the　same　thing。〃

I　appreciated　his　motive；　but　for　the　sake　of　others；　I　replied：　〃I
could　not　see　that　the　term　'crooked'　should　be　used。　I　rolled　up　the
rocks　as　STRAIGHT　as　I　could；　I　placed　them　straight　in　the　box；　hitched
up　my　horse　straight；　drove　straight　to　Kiowa；　walked　straight　in　the
saloon；　threw　straight　and　broke　them　up　in　the　straightest　manner；　drove
home　straight　and　I　did　not　make　a　crooked　step　in　smashing。〃　This
of　course　was　pleasantry；　but　it　was　the　way　I　took　to　justify　myself；　as
but　few　seemed　to　see　the　merit　or　result　of　this　crusade。

I　never　explained　to　the　people　that　God　told　me　to　do　this　for　some
months；　for　I　tried　to　shield　myself　from　the　almost　universal　opinion
that　I　was　partially　insane。

I　will　now　speak　of　my　persecution　for　so…called　slandering　the
prosecuting　attorney。　As　I　said；　no　one　mentioned　such　a　thing　until
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　f