the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第27部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

platform　when　I　could　not　have　told　what　I　was　to　say　to　save　my　life；
and　for　several　weeks　God　compelled　me　to　open　my　Bible　at　random　and
speak　from　what　my　eyes　fell　on。　I　have　literally　proved　that：　〃You
shall　not　think　of　what　you　shall　speak　but　it　shall　be　given　in　that
hour。〃　The　best　thoughts　have　come　to　me　after　being　asleep；　waking
in　the　night　or　in　the　morning。

The　way　I　happened　to　think　of　a　hatchet　as　a　souvenir；　some　one
brought　me　one　and　told　me　I　ought　to　carry　them。　I　then　selected　a
pattern　and　got　a　party　in　Providence；　R。　I。；　to　make　them。　These　have
been　a　great　financial　aid　to　me；　helped　me　pay　my　fines　and　expenses。
People　have　often　bought　them　from　me；　at　my　prison　cell　window。　I
sell　them　everywhere　I　go。

The　summer　of　1902　I　was　at　Coney　Island；　speaking　in　Steeple…
Chase　Park；　and　a　man　was　very　insulting　to　me；　and　always　took　occasion
to　say　something　against　women。　I　can　scarcely　remember　how　it　was；
but　I　broke　or　smashed　his　show　case　of　cigars　and　cigarettes。　I　knew
I　would　have　to　pay　for　it；　but　I　did　not　mind　paying　for　the　object　lesson
that　it　would　be；　for　tobacco　is　a　poison；　and　the　use　of　it　is　a　vice。
I　was　arrested；　stood　my　trial　and　was　being　sent　to　jail；　when　Mr。
Tilyou；　Manager　of　Steeple…Chase　Park；　took　me　from　the　〃Black　Maria。〃
The　policeman　who　had　the　prisoners　in　charge　was　purple　and　bloated
from　beer　drinking；　he　wanted　me　to　go　in　a　place　in　the　front　that　was
already　crowded　with　women。　I　refused　and　he　struck　me　on　the　hand
that　was　holding　to　the　iron　bars　of　the　little　window　and　broke　a　bone；
causing　it　to　swell　up。　I　said：　〃Never　mind；　you　beer…swelled；　whiskey…
soaked　saturn　faced　man；　God　will　strike　you。〃　In　six　weeks　from　that
time　this　man　fell　dead　on　the　streets　of　Coney　Island。　This　was　the
first　time　I　every　had　handcuffs　on。　I　saw　in　this　experience　in　Police
Courts　in　Coney　Island　what　I　never　saw　before；　eight　or　ten　women
sentenced　for　drunkenness；　one　the　mother　of　five　children；　and　the
others　nice　looking　young　ladies；　and　most　of　them　were　weeping。　When
they　received　their　sentences　there　would　be　a　smothered　laugh　from　the
audience　of　bloated　men　present；　and　I　turned　and　said：　〃Shame　on　you；
for　laughing　at　the　sorrows　of　these　poor　women。〃　I　thought　how　heartless
it　was　for　men　to　laugh　at　the　disgrace　of　women。　I　got　out　by
paying　for　the　destruction　of　the　cigar　case。

I　was　very　successful　and　made　enough　money　to　pay　125　a　month
to　have　my　SMASHER'S　MAIL　published　in　the　form　of　a　magazine；
but　having　no　one　in　Topeka　that　could　edit　the　magazine；　doing　justice
to　me；　I　returned　and　closed　the　business。



CHAPTER　X。

LEGAL　STATUS　OF　PROHIBITION　AND　JOINT　SMASHING；


The　very　highest　judicial　authority；　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　Nation；
has　made　a　most　radical　ruling；　towit：　〃No　legislature　can　bargain
away　the　public　health　or　the　public　morals。　The　people　themselves　cannot
do　it；　much　less　their　servants。　Government　is　organized　with　a　view
to　their　preservation　and　cannot　divest　itself　of　the　power　to　provide
for　them。〃101　U。　S。　816。

No　state；　therefore；　can　license　or　legalize　immorality；　vice　or　crime。
All　such　efforts　are　treason　to　society　and　organized　government。

Again；　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States　has　declared：　〃If
the　public　safety　or　the　public　morals　require　the　discontinuance　of　any
manufacture　or　traffic；　the　hand　of　the　legislature　cannot　be　stayed　from
providing　for　its　discontinuance；　by　any　incidental　inconvenience　which
individuals　or　corporations　may　suffer。〃97　U。　S。　32。　Thus　the　legislature
of　any　state　can　confiscate　property　by　wholesale　if　necessary　for
the　protection　of　the　community。　Powder　mills；　slaughter　houses　and
pest　houses；　necessary　institutions；　are　frequently　so　condemned　and
rendered　absolutely　worthless。

The　Federal　Supreme　Court　gives　ample　power　to　all　states　to　enforce
this　great　fundamental　principle。　It　says：　〃The　state　cannot　by　any
contract　limit　the　exercise　of　her　power　to　the　prejudice　of　the　public
health　and　the　public　morals。〃111　U。　S。　751。

Speaking　specifically；　a　sweeping　decision　of　the　highest　tribunal　of
the　land；　is　as　follows：　〃There　is　no　inherent　right　in　a　citizen　to　thus
sell　intoxicating　liquors　by　retail；　it　is　not　a　privilege　of　a　citizen　of　a
state　or　a　citizen　of　the　United　States。〃137　U。　S。　86。

No　state　or　citizen　of　the　United　States　then　has　any　power；　authority
or　right　to　vend　intoxicating　liquors　at　all。

That　there　may　be　no　misconception　or　misconstruction；　in　a　case
from　Kansas；　this　final　court　of　appeal　in　American　jurisprudence；　said：
〃For　we　cannot　shut　out　of　view　the　fact；　within　the　knowledge　of　all；
that　the　public　health；　the　public　morals；　and　the　public　safety　may　be
endangered　by　the　general　use　of　intoxicating　drinks；　nor　the　fact；
established
by　statistics　accessible　to　everyone；　that　the　idleness；　disorder；
pauperism；　and　crime　existing　in　the　country　are；　in　some　degree　at　least；
traceable　to　the　evil；〃Mugler　vs。　Kansas；　123　U。　S。　623。

And　again：　〃The　statistics　of　every　state　show　a　greater　amount
of　crime　and　misery　attributable　to　the　use　of　ardent　spirits　obtained　at
these　liquor　saloons　than　to　any　other　source。〃137　U。　S。　86。

Hon。　Justice　Grier　said：　〃It　is　not　necessary　to　array　the　appalling
statistics　of　misery；　pauperism；　and　crime　that　have　their　origin　in　the　use
and　abuse　of　ardent　spirits。　The　police　power；　which　is　exclusively　in
the　state；　is　competent　to　the　correction　of　these　great　evils；　and　all
measures
of　restraint　or　prohibition　necessary　to　effect　that　purpose　are　within
the　scope　of　that　authority；　and　if　a　loss　of　revenue　should　accrue　to　the
United　States；　from　a　diminished　consumption　of　ardent　spirits；　she　will
be　a　gainer　a　thousand…fold　in　health；　wealth　and　happiness　of　the
people。〃5　Howard　532。

These　far…reaching　decisions　settle　forever　the　disloyalty　and　un…
Americanism　of　any　state　or　citizen　presuming　to　authorize　or　condone
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