第 27 节
作者:谁与争疯      更新:2021-02-19 00:36      字数:9320
  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